I am convinced that you have used this product often, dissolved in milk, sprinkled on cakes, added to recipes for sweets, but perhaps you did not know how many benefits it has indeed for your health.
We are talking about cocoa powder, a miracle ingredient for the maintaining of a healthy body.
Cocoa powder is made from the seeds of the cacao tree and the benefits are stronger if it is more pure.
Cocoa Powder – Nutritional Intake
Doctors and nutritionists say that cocoa is a healthy alternative to many other ingredients that we used to consume, such as coffee with cream and other various flavored coffees. Two tablespoons of cocoa powder provides:
- 1.5 g fat and only 25 calories;
- 14% of the recommended daily fiber;
- 14% of the recommended daily quantity of magnesium;
- 8% of the recommended daily quantity of iron;
According to many studies, a cup of hot cocoa contains more antioxidants than a glass of red wine or a cup of tea.
The Benefits of the Cocoa Powder
1. Prevents Heart Diseases: Regular consumption of cocoa powder can help to protect your heart from diseases.
- The active ingredients in cocoa:
- Improve by up to 30% blood flow;
- Lower the blood pressure;
Arteries become more resilient and the bad cholesterol buildup begins to shrink. Thus, increases good cholesterol and your heart will become stronger in the face of threats.
2. Reduces the Cancer Risk: Due to the high content of antioxidants, cocoa powder can reduce the risk of cancer, protecting cells against free radicals.
Bowel cancer is one of the cancer types kept away by cocoa powder.
3. Decreases the risk of diabetes: Cocoa powder that can be found in full in dark chocolate is an excellent ingredient against diabetes because of its magnesium content. This element is essential in the process of transforming glucose into energy. The higher level of magnesium in the body is higher, the inflammation and the risk of insulin resistance decreases.
4. Fight against Depression: Studies on the benefits of cocoa, demonstrate that it has the ability to improve memory, combat stress, mental overwork and depression, among others.
Thus, people who are going through a difficult time, are stressed and have depressive tendencies should consume at least 2 cups of cocoa a day.
5. Cleanse Toxins from the Liver: Cocoa powder is effective in detoxifying the liver, but also in improving the bowel movements.
6. Slows Down the Skin Aging: Regular consumption of cocoa may help improve the appearance of skin and slow the aging process. This important benefit comes from the antioxidants that are found in full in cocoa powder. They protect the skin from the harmful effects of free radicals and speed up the cell regeneration.
Cocoa Consumption Precautions
Cocoa powder can be consumed with skimmed milk or can be added to various dishes.
Although it has a lot of health benefits, it is recommended that you do not abuse the cocoa powder, as it contains fat and sugar that could lead easily to weight gain.
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