Cocoa Benefits
What is Cocoa?
It is a tree that produces a fruit that bears the same name, whose grains are used to create chocolate, butter, mole, and tejate. This tree takes 5 years to mature and they live to be 30 years old. Although its origin is from America, today 70% of production comes from Africa.
What foods have Cocoa?
Cacao has been a part of Mexican culture for hundreds of years, primarily used by the Mayans, Toltecs, and Aztecs as food and medicine until the arrival of the Spanish, who caused the globalization of this versatile grain.
In addition to serving as food through chocolate, the shell of the grain is used as food for cattle, the ashes of the shell for fertilizer or soaps, the cocoa juice for jams, the cocoa butter for the pharmaceutical industry and food products. beauty, cocoa mass for chocolate, cocoa pulp for alcoholic beverages, and cocoa powder for foods such as cakes, ice cream, cookies, and for Empowermind 's excellent nootropics.
What is Cocoa used for?
Cocoa is a nootropic that is very rich in oliphenolic compounds called flavonoids, to which a large number of brain-boosting benefits are attributed. The main flavonoids that help the brain protect itself from free radicals are epicatechin and proanthocyanins, these act as powerful antioxidants providing numerous benefits to the brain.
Cocoa flavonoids are excellent nootropics for our brain as they increase blood flow to the brain, favoring the elasticity of blood vessels and reducing blood pressure, also working as a powerful anti-inflammatory.
Scientific studies show that:
- It is a powerful antioxidant, helping to reduce oxidative damage by removing free radicals from the brain.
- Contains theobromine, which stimulates blood flow and is responsible for the "aphrodisiac effects" of chocolate
- By increasing blood flow to the brain, it enhances cognition and memory
- Stimulates the release of phenylethylamine, which increases concentration and awareness
- It also stimulates the release of anandamide, also known as the happiness molecule.
- It is a rich source of tryptophans, which serves as a precursor for serotonin.
How does Cocoa work in the brain?
Cocoa is rich in theobromine, a compound with vasodilator activity, promoting blood circulation to the brain and helping to prevent neurological diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer's, among others. Additionally, cocoa is rich in selenium, a mineral that helps improve cognition and memory.
Why do we need it?
Cocoa is the seed of the fruit of the cocoa tree and is the main ingredient in chocolate. This seed is mainly rich in flavonoids such as epicatechins and catechins, as well as being rich in antioxidants. Therefore, its consumption can have several health benefits such as improving mood, blood flow and regulating blood sugar.
It has been shown that the consumption of Cocoa protects the body's cells, being able to delay the appearance of colon, liver, prostate or breast cancer. It also reduces the risk of leukemia.
How does it help you?
Cocoa is rich in theobromine, caffeine, phenylethylamine and tyramine. Tyramine is a precursor to tryptophan, which in turn is a precursor to serotonin, a neurotransmitter involved in regulating mood, heart rate, sleep, and appetite. In this way, cocoa can help improve mood and combat the signs and symptoms of depression and anxiety.
The University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom published an article in Scientific Reports, where it was found that the consumption of cocoa enriched with flavanols increases oxygenation of the brain and improves its response to complex cognitive tasks.
Side effects
The stimulating effect produced by Cocoa supplementation can cause nervousness, gastritis or digestive discomfort if a dose above the recommended one is taken. It contains tannins that have astringent effects and can cause constipation, and can trigger migraines in people who tend to suffer from them.
Cocoa is just one of the eleven ingredients that MIND contains . If you want to know more about the other components, we invite you to click on this link .
References
- https://www.gob.mx/agricultura/es/articulos/los-mil-y-un-usos-del-cacao
- https://almadocacau.com/es/10-principais-beneficios-do-cacau-para-a-saude/#:~:text=El%20cacao%20es%20rico%20en%20teobromina%2C%20un%20compuesto% 20with%20activity,%20cognici%C3%B3n%20and%20%20memory.
- https://www.iisaragon.es/el-chocolate-produce-bienestar-y-estimula-el-cerebro/
- https://www.topdoctors.com.ar/articulos-medicos/el-cacao-para-la-salud-neurologica/
- https://www.consalud.es/estilo-vida/cacao-en-polvo-beneficios-contradiciones_116542_102.html
