Cocoa - Good For Health

Cocoa is a product widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. It is obtained from the fruits of an evergreen tree, up to 8 m high. The plant is found in the wild in Central and South America, cultivated in large areas mainly in America and Africa.
 

Cocoa beans have been known to the population of Brazil for many centuries. The Aztecs in Mexico and other neighboring countries used these fruits to make a drink. It was called chocolate, hence the current name of chocolate, which is based on the preparation of cocoa. The product was brought to Europe in the 16th century by the Spaniards when they conquered Latin America.

Cocoa powder as a spice and food is obtained by processing the fruit. To obtain cocoa powder, large fruits are fermented and the seeds are separated. They contain little phosphates, starch, B vitamins, alkaloids, about 50% lipids (composed of useful unsaturated fatty acids of plant origin), 10% proteins and tannins - mainly catechins. They also contain 1% of the xanthine derivative theobromine, which is similar in chemical structure and action to caffeine in coffee and theophylline in tea. After fermentation, the seeds are processed at the factory, removing the seed coat, which contains the main content of theobromine. The rest, the seed kernel, is ground to make a paste. It is used to make chocolates, candies, cocoa butter and raw cocoa powder. Since it is insoluble in water,

Cocoa powder is brown, with a specific pleasant aroma and bitter taste, forming a suspension when mixed with water without settling in it.
There are several types of cocoa powder on the market, mixed with different types of flour - soy, acorn and others. From them soy-cocoa mixture is prepared for a drink in the composition of 40% natural cocoa powder and 60% soy flour.

Cocoa powder contains useful theosterols - substances that in the human body are converted into useful vitamin Q, which helps treat children and adults from serious diseases.

Cocoa contains:

• Fat - Cocoa beans contain a large percentage of butter. The composition of cocoa butter includes the glycides of palmitic (23-25%), stearic (31-34.5%), oleic (39-43%) and linoleic (up to 2%) acid. Cocoa butter is a homogeneous, relatively dense crispy mass with a yellowish color. It has a faint odor and a pleasant oily taste. At a temperature of 30-34 ° C it turns into a transparent, oily and yellowish liquid. It must be stored in suitable packaging to avoid rancidity. The high fat content distinguishes cocoa drink from all other invigorating drinks. Thanks to them, it has a high caloric and nutritional value.
• Vegetable protein - is relatively rich in protein, depending on the variety. Despite the great variety of amino acids in cocoa protein and an approximate amount of pure protein of 25%, cocoa and plain chocolate are not as important a source of protein as might be expected. This is because less than 40% of proteins are actually used by the body and some of them are lost or converted during processing.
• Sugar - Cocoa beans contain a lot of carbohydrates, but most of them are starch, soluble and insoluble fiber. Very few are simple sugars. 100 grams of cocoa powder contain about 37-40 g of carbohydrates.
• Antioxidants - Cocoa beans contain polyphenols (close to those in wine), which in turn have good antioxidant properties that are good for health. These compounds are called flavanoids and include catechin, epicatechin and procyanidin. Flavonoids increase the resistance of capillaries, stimulate the heart, have diuretic, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects, affect the metabolism of iodine and calcium in the body.
• Theobromine - Theobromine is a very mild stimulant with a mild diuretic effect. It is important to know that it can be toxic to animals such as dogs, cats, parrots and horses.
• Caffeine - Cocoa beans contain a small amount of caffeine, much less than coffee or even tea.
• Phenylethylamines - they are weak antidepressants and stimulants, similar to those produced by the human body dopamine and adrenaline.
• Serotonin - Cocoa and chocolate can increase serotonin levels in the brain.
• Essential Minerals - Cocoa beans are rich in many essential minerals, including magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium and manganese.
• Vitamins - A, B1, B2, B3, B5, C, E.

Unlike caffeine, theobromine does not increase performance, but helps to restore the body's physical strength faster when a lot of stress is required. Undoubtedly, this also applies to people engaged in hard mental work. This effect of cocoa is due not only to its high caloric content and small amounts of caffeine contained in it, but above all to the stimulating effect of theobromine on the central nervous system. The content of tannins is also high - about 5%; of pectin, of carbohydrates.

Benefits of cocoa for human health

• Cocoa beans contain flavanol, which is able to significantly improve blood circulation to the brain.
• Cocoa lowers blood pressure.
• Daily consumption of a flavanol-rich cocoa beverage can reverse the life-threatening vascular damage associated with diabetes.
• Helps with people with depression or premenstrual syndrome.

Side effects and overdose

Due to its high fat content, cocoa is not well tolerated by people with biliary and liver problems and digestive disorders such as gastritis, enterocolitis and others. When used in large quantities, cocoa can cause irritation of the gastric mucosa, more pronounced in people suffering from gastritis, diseases of the intestines, liver and bile ducts. It has been proven that 15 g of cocoa powder, diluted with 300 ml of water, causes a strong secretory reaction on the part of the stomach. If the same cocoa drink is prepared with fresh milk, it leaves the stomach more slowly and the irritation is less.

Cocoa contains a high percentage of oxalic acid, which is why it is unsuitable for people prone to the formation of oxalate sands and kidney stones. Sometimes causes allergic disorders: hives, eczema, migraines, hemorrhoids.