Invest in your health by controlling your blood sugar and weight, decreasing inflammation, and improving brain and heart function with Cocoa Powder.
First consumed approximately 5000 years ago and cultivated since more than 3000 years ago, humans have widely used cocoa powder in various areas. In the 16th century, the Spanish took cocoa beans and spread them to be cultivated for many things including foods and medicine while many have even used them raw as a currency.
Cocoa powder, in particular, is made by crushing cocoa beans which then the fat, in the form of cocoa butter, will be removed. The cultivated cacao as cocoa powder was used as a primary remedy or vehicle to deliver other medicines in Mesoamerica which was then majorly consumed by indigenous people. Since then, there have been over 100 uses for cocoa powder as a medical treatment between the 16th and 20th centuries.
Here are some healthy contents in cocoa powder that can benefit your health.
- Polyphenols: Providing Antioxidants for Your Body
Polyphenols are natural antioxidants found in fruits, vegetables, tea, wine, and chocolate. This content is found in cocoa powder which means that cocoa powder has potent antioxidants. Polyphenols can reduce inflammation, increase blood flow quality, and lower blood pressure.
The process of production where cocoa is overly heated can cause the loss of its beneficial properties. Hence, not all products containing cocoa have equal contents with exact benefits.
- Flavanols: Function Your Blood Circulation, Prevent Diabetic Effects, Cancer Protection, and Diet
Other than Polyphenols, cocoa powder contains Flavanols which are thought to improve nitric oxide levels within the blood. This content can reduce blood pressure and enhance blood vessels’ function. It was found that cocoa produced an adequate reduction of 2 mmHg in blood pressure. The effect can be greater in people with high blood pressure and in younger people compared to those who do not have high blood pressure and older people.
By lowering blood pressure, cocoa powder may also reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Flavanol in cocoa powder relaxes and dilates the arteries and blood vessels which then improve blood circulation in the body. Moreover, cocoa powder also has a blood thinning effect which is similar to aspirin. It can also decrease insulin resistance, and reduce inflammation. Results from Swedish studies suggest that consuming small amounts of flavanol-rich cocoa frequently may be beneficial for the human heart.
Improved blood circulation affects the blood flow quality to the brain. Flavanols can cross the blood-brain barrier and produce neurons and important molecules to function in the human brain. Studies suggest that daily intake of cocoa flavanols can improve people’s mental performance. In conclusion, cocoa powder has a positive role in brain health and possibly in neurodegenerative disease.
Flavanols can also slow down carbohydrate digestion and absorption. It can improve insulin secretion while reducing inflammation and then stimulate the sugar uptake out of the blood into the muscles. In a sense, high-contained flavanols cocoa powder can control and reduce inflammation in diabetic and nondiabetic people. It somehow can also control weight gain due to the regulation of energy use, appetite reduction, and increase of fat oxidation which lead to feelings of fullness.
Similar to the flavanols in other vegetables or fruits, cocoa powder has cancer-protective properties with low toxicity and a few adverse side effects. Cocoa powder can become one of the flavanol-rich diet menus to decrease the risk of cancer. The antioxidant which is produced with flavanols of cocoa powder can play a pivotal role in cancer prevention.
- Tryptophan, Caffeine, Theobromine, and Theophylline: Mood Stabilizer, Pleasure, and Anti-Asthmatic
The conversion of tryptophan can be a natural mood stabilizer serotonin. Adding to the caffeine content in cocoa powder, the sensory pleasure from cocoa powder products such as chocolate can help human mood. Studies showed that a preference for eating chocolate over other sweets is linked to overall health and better psychological well-being.
Other than that, cocoa powder may be beneficial for people with asthma. Theobromine and Theophylline in cocoa powder contain anti-asthmatic compounds that may help people with persistent coughing. 100 grams of cocoa powder contains about 1.9 grams of this compound. Through daily intake of cocoa powder, people with asthma can achieve relaxed airways, dilated lungs, and decreased inflammation.
Cocoa powder contains many healthy and nutritious contents that can be beneficial to your health. Moreover, it is also easy to add cocoa powder to a diet menu creatively. However, it should be remembered that cocoa powder contents are different from one another depending on its production process. Enjoying high-quality cocoa powder in moderation can be a beneficial long-term investment in your health.
Source:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/cocoa-powder-nutrition-benefits