Facts About Cocoa



  • Does cold weather leave your skin dry, rough and flaky? Have a cup of hot cocoa! When German scientists gave volunteers an 8 oz cup of cocoa each day for 12 weeks, their complexion was smoother, softer and more hydrated. Credit goes to cocoa's flavonoids and high content of epicatechin, which elevates levels of nitric acid in the blood to rev up circulation.
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  • Milk chocolate fends off fatigue. New research from West Virginia's Wheeling Jesuit University has found that milk chocolate boosts attention, memory and focus even better than dark chocolate. Just 3 oz a day boosts the blood flow and oxygen to the frontal lobes of the brain - the area of the bran that regulates attention and focus- by a whopping 50%, heightening concentration in just 15 minutes.
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  • Chocolate can help lower blood pressure. The reason is cocoa helps the body process nitric oxide, a compound critical for healthy blood flow and blood pressure.
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  • Chocolate contains phenyl ethylamine, a mild mood elevator.
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  • The cocoa butter in chocolate contains oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated fat which may raise good cholesterol.
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  • Drinking a cup of hot chocolate before meals may actually diminish appetite. Theobromine, which stimulates the central nervous system, facilitates muscular exertion, acts as a diuretic and appetite stimulant.
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  • Men who eat chocolate live a year longer than those who don't.
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  • The flavanoids in chocolate may help keep blood vessels elastic.
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  • Chocolate increases antioxidant levels in the blood.
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  • Mexican healers use chocolate to treat bronchitis and insect bites.
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  • The carbohydrates in chocolate raise serotonin levels in the brain, resulting in a sense of well-being.
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  • Chocolate also provides endorphins, which act like natural opiates in treating chronic pain. Endorphins also bring on a relaxed state of mind, enable more oxygen to reach our inner blood supply and even improve our memory. Seratonin, a neurotransmitter is found in chocolate and works in our body as an anti-depressant. Another good thing to note about chocolate is that chocolate doesn't cause acne or irritate it. It's also known to contain the vitamins B1, B2, D and E as well as the minerals potassium and magnesium.
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  • I know what you're going to say: What about chocolate and tooth decay? No problem. Researchers found that the cocoa butter in chocolate coats the teeth while it's being consumed making it one of the least likely snacks to cause tooth decay.