Cocoa powder is good and bad

Cocoa taste in many of us is associated with childhood, I must say that we love this drink not in vain, because the cocoa powder from which it is prepared contains vitamins , minerals and other useful compounds. In this regard, highly valued and chocolate with a high content of cocoa. In addition, cocoa butter is added to various cosmetics.

Composition and properties of cocoa

1. It is practically proved that a cup of a fragrant drink will help to come into tonus and cheer up. All thanks to the presence of cocoa powder substances that stimulate the production of endorphins. These mediators are necessary for the normal operation of the brain.
2. Despite the presence of caffeine, cocoa is a drink that is allowed and even recommended for people with hypertension. Powder of cocoa beans is a source of polyphenols - compounds that help reduce blood pressure.
3. To use cocoa is also useful for the skin, because the procyanidins entering it give it elasticity and smoothness, and they also make us more resistant to various stresses.
4. A hot drink made on the basis of cocoa powder will be very useful for respiratory infections and a strong cough. Theobromine, which contains cocoa beans, helps fight cough. In addition, this compound does not allow spasmodic vessels, contributing to the improvement of blood circulation.
5. Another advantage of cocoa before other beverages is the high content of antioxidants. People who regularly pamper themselves with cocoa slow down their aging processes in their bodies.
6. The useful properties of cocoa are also due to the fact that the cocoa bean powder is very rich in various vitamins and minerals, among them there is tocopherol, B vitamins, folic acid, fluorine, iron, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium.
7. Contains cocoa and tannins, which help to heal lesions on the mucous membranes. In this regard, drinking cocoa is recommended for people with gastritis or peptic ulcer.

When does useful become harmful?

However, cocoa has both beneficial properties and contraindications. For example, because of the presence of caffeine, it is not recommended for people with impaired nervous system function, prone to neuroses and insomnia . You should also consider the presence of caffeine when you give this drink to a child.

Many are interested in whether cocoa is useful to pregnant women. Experts warn that it prevents the full absorption of calcium, and in fact this element is necessary for a growing body. Therefore, it is better to abstain from eating cocoa-containing foods during the period of the child's birth, but at the planning stage of pregnancy, cocoa is not forbidden, because it is rich in folic acid, which will ensure a normal laying of the nervous system in the early stages of the child's development.

Also, some are wondering whether cocoa is harmful on a diet. It really is necessary drink with caution to those who are overweight or have diabetes. A hundred grams of powder contains up to 400 calories, and if you take into account that milk is also used for making a drink, and often sugar, it turns out that there are a lot of calories in a cup of cocoa. Thus, drinking it best in the morning, then you get a charge of vivacity and good mood for the whole day and have time to spend the calories you have received.

To refuse from the use of the products containing cocoa, it is necessary to people with a gout. Powder of cocoa beans contains purines, which promote the deposition of salts in the joints.

Little use of cocoa powder of questionable quality, and the harm caused to the body, can cross out all its useful properties, so carefully read the composition, there should be no dyes or chemical additives.