10 lý do cacao tốt cho sức khỏe
The cocoa content inside chocolate has really brought great benefits thanks to its delicious flavor and attractive form that makes it hard for anyone to resist. Research by Dr. Sally Norton analyzed the effect of cocoa on our health.
High quality cocoa pods, especially pure cocoa, are excellent ingredients for making non-sugar-free chocolate in baking or cooking (available chocolates often contain sugar and fat. Certainly indicated on the label).
Cocoa beans will be naturally fermented before processing into the main ingredients of chocolate as cocoa fat and cocoa powder. Cocoa powder contains the most abundant source of flavonol compounds, including procyanidins, catechins and epicatechins. These are antioxidants that are very good for health (so black chocolate is also considered "super food").
Cocoa beans contain healthy antioxidant ingredients (Source: vavistalife.com)
Natural pure cocoa powder contains the highest levels of flavanol oxidants and recent research has shown that cocoa and dark chocolate products also contain high levels of resveratrol - another type of antioxidant found in alcohol. Red wine and good for health.
In addition, cocoa contains methylxanthines that also have certain benefits for the body. Methylxathines in cocoa include a small amount of caffeine, which is an anti-sleeper, but also contains a greater amount of theobromine, making it easier to sleep and enjoy a cup of cocoa before going to bed to improve your sleep quality .
When choosing chocolate, you should carefully check the ingredients and content, should choose black chocolate with high cocoa content to maximize the effect of cocoa. A chocolate bar of 70% cocoa will provide twice as much antioxidant as chocolate 35% cocoa.
So what is the effect of cocoa? Let's look at 10 reasons why chocolate, or more specifically cocoa, is considered a healthy food:
1. Cocoa helps prevent the risk of memory impairment
Scientists at Harvard Medical School said that drinking two cups of hot chocolate each day can help the brain stay healthy and prevent memory decline in the elderly by protecting brain blood circulation.
The team conducted memory and thinking skills tests on 60 older people before and after taking two cups of hot cocoa every day for 30 days. Half of the participants will use cocoa with high flavanol content and the other half will use low-flavanol.
The results showed that people with poor blood circulation had a significant improvement in memory and brain function after regular consumption of cocoa containing standard flavanol.
2. Cocoa helps lower blood pressure
Results from a number of trials show that consumption of black chocolate or cocoa can significantly lower blood pressure in people with high blood pressure. Even just a small amount of about 6 grams of black chocolate also reduces blood pressure, compared to eating a similar amount of white chocolate but does not work because it does not contain beneficial substances like in black chocolate.
Cocoa also helps improve digestion, reducing the risk of colon cancer (Source: MetabolicEffect.com)
Scientists from the Food and Nutrition Science Institute (ICTAN) have found that rats - when fed with a cocoa-rich diet - will be less affected by changes in the bowel cancer. and there is no sign of cell damage.
Although more research is still needed on what cocoa powder works, a cup of cocoa or a small piece of dark chocolate every day will help improve your intestinal tract. [Nbsp]
6. Cocoa helps improve cardiovascular health
Just like lowering blood pressure, a test of 42 trials over 1200 patients also showed that flavanol in cocoa reduced the amount of 'bad' insulin and cholesterol, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease and vascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke.
Moreover, flavanol compounds in cocoa and chocolate also help increase blood circulation, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
7. Cocoa reduces the risk of diabetes
In another study of the effects of cocoa, 100 people with diabetes were given cocoa and milk, or only drank milk; 2 times a day for 6 weeks. The results showed that those who drank milk and cocoa had low levels of cholesterol and inflammation, which helped reduce health risks.
8. Cocoa can protect your liver
An animal study has shown that daily use of cocoa may impair fatty liver disease due to a high-fat diet. Fatty liver disease is increasing due to obesity and some cases may progress to cirrhosis. So if you are losing weight, drinking a cup of cocoa before going to bed will be good for your liver.
Cocoa helps protect your liver (Source: ZMEScience.com)
9. Cocoa can help reduce stress
People who experience the Vavista Program say that stress increases the craving for chocolate, more specifically, sugar and fat cravings. However, there is some evidence that eating about 28g or half a day of dark chocolate can reduce hormones that cause stress and anxiety in people who are constantly stressed.
10. Cocoa can help control weight
When tested in mice on the link between weight and cocoa, it worked, those with cocoa-rich diets were lighter in weight than those fed cocoa substitutes.
In general, undeniably the benefits that antioxidants in cocoa bring to our health. However, the steps to process cocoa beans can affect the effect of cocoa, namely the amount of antioxidant remaining until the body consumes chocolate. These steps include fermentation and roasting of cocoa beans and alkaline treatment.
Alkaline treatment to reduce the bitterness of cocoa powder to make drinks, cakes and biscuits. This process can lose up to 98% of epicatechin - one of the important oxidants in cocoa powder.
Therefore, to maintain the highest quality of cocoa in cocoa, it is necessary to have a professional cocoa processing process from planting to consumers. Currently, the Cocoa-Trace program of Puratos Grand-Place Indochina (PGPI) is a certification for high quality, sustainable and traceable sources of cocoa beans.
Based on the Cocoa-Trace program, PGPI has built a vertical business model, closely associated with farmers to ensure the best quality cocoa. The team of PGPI experts share their expertise, expertise in farming and cultivation, with the aim of increasing productivity, increasing cocoa quality and protecting the environment. [Nbsp]
The establishment of cocoa beans purchasing and fermentation factory, as well as cocoa development center, helps control the entire cocoa production process, from cocoa procurement, fermentation, grain drying, giving come packed. This helps ensure consistent quality of cocoa products.
In particular, the fermentation process is strictly controlled from grain turning to temperature, humidity ... Cocoa beans that are incubated in containers in accordance with Cocoa-Trace standards are not only the first step for chocolate products. High-quality flavors that also ensure the preservation of beneficial substances in cocoa is good for human health.