Quote:17 Impressive Cocoa Benefits
https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/...cocoa.html
Health benefits of cocoa include relief from high blood pressure, cholesterol, obesity, constipation, diabetes, bronchial asthma, cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome and various neurodegenerative diseases.
It is beneficial for quick wound healing, skin care, and it helps to improve cardiovascular health and brain health. It also helps in treating copper deficiency. It possesses mood-enhancing properties and exerts protective effects against neurotoxicity.
Table of Contents
•What is Cocoa?
•Nutritional Value of Cocoa
•Health Benefits of Cocoa◦Lowers High Blood Pressure
◦Antioxidant Capacity
◦Improves Brain Health
◦Balances Cholesterol Levels
◦Treats Diabetes
◦Relieves Bronchial Asthma
◦Speeds up Healing
◦Manages Obesity
◦Improves Cardiovascular Health
◦Enhances Mood
◦Treats Constipation
◦Prevents Cancer
◦Treats Copper Deficiency
◦Reduces Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
◦Skin Care
◦Treats Neurodegenerative Disorders
◦Prevents Magnesium Deficiency Effects
What is Cocoa?
Cocoa beans are the fermented seeds of the cacao tree, whose Latin name is Theobroma cacao, which means “Food of the Gods”. It is native to the Amazon region and as the meaning suggests, cocoa was historically considered a very important crop in Central and South America. In fact, its beans were so prized that the native tribes used them as a form of currency. The cacao tree stands about 12-25 feet tall and grows naturally in tropical climates.
The fruit of the cocoa tree is a pod full of sweet pulp enfolding a cluster of about 20-40 cacao seeds. Today, it is produced across the world, with about forty percent of the harvesting done in Cote d’Ivoire, along with Indonesia, Ghana, Brazil, Nigeria, and Cameroon contributing to the overall production. Along with its well-established role in the manufacturing of chocolate, the healing and medicinal benefits of cocoa have been appreciated since the ancient Mayan and Aztec civilizations were ruling their continent.
Cocoa and chocolate are diverse terminologies. Cocoa refers to the low-fat constituent of the finely ground cocoa beans. These ground beans, known as cocoa liquor or cocoa mass, also contains cocoa butter which is a non-dairy, naturally occurring fat present in cocoa beans. About 50-60% of cocoa liquor consists of cocoa butter.
Nutritional Value of Cocoa
Cocoa is rich in minerals such as iron, magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, copper and manganese. It is also a good source of selenium, potassium, and zinc while providing the body with carbohydrates, protein, and dietary fiber. In addition to this, the cholesterol content in it is almost negligible. It contains cocoa butter, which is a mixture of monounsaturated fats like oleic acid and saturated fats, namely stearic acid and palmitic acid.
It is a lot more than just a guilty pleasure!
Health Benefits of Cocoa
Cocoa offers anti-inflammatory, anti-allergenic, anti-carcinogenic and antioxidant qualities and has demonstrated positive effects by imparting numerous health benefits.
Improves Brain Health
Scientists have suggested that flavonol-rich cocoa may extend its beneficial effects to maintaining a healthy brain. These neuroprotective benefits could also have favorable effects on learning and memory functions.
The findings have advocated that the consumption of cocoa-based products enhances the flow of blood to the brain and they have provided evidence of the therapeutic potential for curing vascular disorders.
Balances Cholesterol Levels
An investigative research study has shown that cocoa has hypoglycemic and hypocholesterolemic effects on both glucose and cholesterol levels, respectively. A diet containing it has also shown a reduction in triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, and glucose level. It has also demonstrated a noteworthy rise in the levels of healthy HDL cholesterol in the test subjects.
Treats Diabetes
The consumption of cocoa has been shown to be effective in improving insulin resistance and glucose metabolism. This, in turn, aids in regulating sugar levels in the body. The proanthocyanidins derived from it help in inhibiting the cataract formation occasionally induced by diabetes.
An investigative study has confirmed that it exerts protective antioxidant activity in the treatment of long term diabetic complications such as diabetic nephrotoxicity. Nephrotoxicity plays a key role in diabetes mellitus and it is the major cause of severe renal disease.
Free radicals aggravate these diabetic complications by promoting oxidative stress, leading to cell and tissue damage. The free radical scavenging activity of cocoa has shown therapeutic effects in treating and preventing this sort of cellular injury.
The findings of another research study suggest that the consumption of flavonol-rich cocoa has shown therapeutic potential in improving the vascular function of diabetics on various medications.
1
