Advantages of Dark Chocolate

This linked article details some advantages that the consumption of dark chocolate has compared to white chocolate. Advantages appear to be lowered blood pressure and better insulin resistance. The cause is attributed to cocoa flavenoids found in dark chocolate but not in white chocolate. In almost all other respects the two types of chocolates are identical which makes white chocolate an excellent means by which to detect the effects of cocoa flavenoids in dark chocolate.

Breast Cancer and the FOXP3 and HER-2 Genes

A EurekAlert article entitled 'U-M researchers identify gene involved in breast cancer' discusses a link between breast cancer and a gene known as FOXP3 which is known to suppress the growth of tumors.

Given the fact that single mutations, altering the protein coded for by the FOXP3 gene, have been known to have adverse affects, researchers have concluded that FOXP3 has a role in preventing breast cancer and may do this by its influence on the expression of another gene known as HER-2. As the linked article indicates the HER-2 gene function entails such cellular activities as cellular growth, cell division and repair. An excess of HER-2 proteins may be a contributing factor to the development of breast cancer.