Chocolate produces pleasure, it is one of the foods that most like, a little bite can provoke us happiness and a lot of taste. It has been consumed since ancient times and in many cultures.
Cocoa properties
Dark chocolate, which is the one we are going to focus on, must have a minimum of 70% inside, because otherwise we will be consuming ingredients that are not beneficial to us. The "normal" chocolate ocwith milk is rich in sugars, fats and has a great caloric power. However, dark chocolate also has calories but offers very important properties, in addition, it is recommended for weight loss diets because they remove the anxiety to devour products full of refined fats and sugars.
Next we will tell you how this energetic and restorative food stands out.
- Caloric product, rich in carbohydrates and few proteins.
- Antioxidant product: cocoa is a powerful antioxidant. The vitamins and minerals that cocoa has are presented in large quantities such as: potassium, phosphorus, manganese, iron, vitamins of group B and in less quantity, calcium, copper and provitamin A.
- Exciting product: This is due to its content in theobromine or caffeine that activates the body and keeps it awake and attentive.
- Stimulating product: Alcolloids improve blood circulation, helping nutrients reach all parts of the body, in addition, it offers a diuretic action and stimulates the activity of the intestines to be able to carry out a good digestion. The airways open and the lungs receive more oxygen.
- Astringent product: in this case, the tannins in cocoa produce an astringent effect, so it is good to consume it when suffering from diarrhea.
Why is it a stimulating and exciting food?
The question is to find out why this food, in general chocolate and cocoa in particular, gives us pleasure. Knowing why so many people like it and what makes it so irresistible.
When we feel low, eat some chocolate helps us calm down, increase our mood and see things from a more positive perspective. Cocoa in that case, improves brain activity that leads to a feeling of well-being and euphoria. In addition to eating it to increase our mood, it is also very beneficial to consume it before doing a very "brainy" activity, for this reason, because it puts the brain on alert.
Components of cocoa or chocolate
- Phenylethylamine: It is the one that produces an increase in vigor, increasing our mood.
- Theobromine or caffeine: It is what activates us when we are in very low spirits.
- Flavonoids: they are the antioxidants that protect us from cellular aging, also improving our cardiovascular health.
- It also has properties vasodilator, anti-inflammatory e hypertensive. In this case, it is recommended for those who are at risk for thrombi.
The problem that we find today is the fact of finding a quality cocoa with guarantees that has been extracted from a sustainable crop and suitable for the environment. We must know that to achieve the benefits described above, we need to locate a good chocolate that contains at least 70%, although if it is more quantity, better than better.
Consume chocolate with measure and control, because although it is beneficial, it is very caloric and can cause unwanted weight gain or the appearance of pimples on the face.