Why should you use cocoa powder every day?
Pure cocoa powder is known to be a great ingredient to create nutritious drinks that are very beneficial to the health of everyone from children to the elderly. However, many people still do not fully believe in the benefits of pure cocoa powder. Understanding that, Trong Duc Cacao will share with you the reasons why you should use cocoa powder daily in the article below.
1. Cocoa helps prevent the risk of memory loss
Scientists at Harvard Medical School say that drinking two cups of hot chocolate a day can help keep the brain healthy and prevent memory decline in the elderly by protecting brain blood circulation.
The team tested memory and thinking skills on 60 older adults before and after drinking two cups of hot cocoa a day for 30 days. Half of the participants would take high-flavanol cocoa and the other half would use low-flavanol cocoa.
The results showed that people with poor blood circulation had significant improvements in memory and brain function after regularly drinking cocoa containing standard flavanols.
2. Cocoa helps lower blood pressure
Results from several trials suggest that consuming dark chocolate or cocoa can significantly lower blood pressure in people with high blood pressure. Even a small amount of about 6 grams of dark chocolate reduces blood pressure, compared to eating an equivalent amount of white chocolate, but it has no effect because it does not contain the beneficial substances found in dark chocolate.
3. Eating chocolate can help you improve your math thinking
Foods high in cocoa flavanols, have been shown to increase blood flow to the brain, thereby improving cognitive performance.
In a study of 30 adults, results showed that on days when they were given high-flavanol cocoa, these people performed better in math and felt more alert than on days when they didn't drink cocoa. . So, when facing a difficult math problem, try sipping a piece of dark chocolate.
4. Cocoa helps improve chronic fatigue syndrome
Researchers from the Hull York School of Medicine showed that people with chronic fatigue syndrome experienced a significant improvement in symptoms when eating dark chocolate, in stark contrast to those using milk chocolate with the coating. Brown. They theorized that this was due to increased levels of serotinin, a brain chemical, through the polyphenols found in dark chocolate.
And for added reassurance, none of the test participants gained weight during the study. So, if you suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome and know what cocoa can do, don't forget to add dark chocolate to your daily diet.
5. Cocoa improves bowel disease and may prevent colon cancer risk
One animal study showed that cocoa may help prevent intestinal upset or disease, and may even reduce the risk of colon cancer.
Scientists from the Institute of Food Science, Technology and Nutrition (ICTAN) found that rats, when fed a diet rich in cocoa, were less affected by precancerous changes in the intestines. and there were no signs of cell damage.
While more research is still needed on what cocoa powder does, a cup of cocoa or a small piece of dark chocolate a day will improve your gut.
6. Cocoa improves heart health
As well as lowering blood pressure, a review of 42 trials involving 1200 patients also found that cocoa flavanols help reduce levels of insulin and 'bad' cholesterol, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease and vascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke.
Moreover, the flavanol compounds found in cocoa and chocolate also help increase blood circulation, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
7. Cocoa reduces the risk of diabetes
In another study on the effects of cocoa, 100 people with diabetes were given cocoa and milk, or only milk; 2 times a day for 6 weeks. The results showed that those who drank milk and cocoa had lower cholesterol and inflammation levels, helping to reduce the health risks.
8. Cocoa can protect your liver
An animal study showed that daily cocoa consumption can reduce fatty liver caused by a high-fat diet. Fatty liver disease is on the rise due to obesity and in some cases can progress to cirrhosis. So if you are losing weight, drinking a cup of cocoa before bed will be good for your liver.
9. Cocoa can help reduce stress
The person in charge of the Vavista Program says that stress increases cravings for chocolate, more specifically, cravings for sugar and fat. However, there is some evidence that eating about 28g or half a piece of dark chocolate a day can reduce stress and anxiety hormones in people who are constantly stressed.
10. Cocoa can help with weight control
When tested in mice for what effect the relationship between weight and cocoa had, those on the cocoa-rich diet weighed less than those fed cocoa substitutes.
Overall, there is no denying the benefits that the antioxidants in cocoa bring to our health. However, the processing steps of the cocoa beans can affect the effects of cocoa, specifically the amount of antioxidants remaining until the body consumes the chocolate. These steps include fermentation and roasting of cocoa beans and alkali treatment.
The alkaline treatment process is used to reduce the bitterness of cocoa powder to make drinks, cakes and cookies. This process can lose up to 98% of epicatechin – one of the important antioxidants in cocoa powder.
Where to buy cocoa powder?
Cacao Trong Duc is proud to be a supplier of 100% pure cocoa powder products with a nationwide dealer network. Trong Duc Cacao is committed to providing 100% pure cocoa powder products, without mixing impurities or additives.