Making cocoa powder a staple in your every day life can can introduce you to so many powerful benefits that can have lasting effects on your well being and improve your health in many ways.
1. Boost Happiness
In case you suffer from day-to-day depression symptoms, find your mood hard to regulate, or simply need a boost in happiness, one spoon of cocoa or a hot cup of cocoa in the morning might be all you need. Many studies have concluded that cocoa is great as natural antidepressant that can efficiently boost your liveliness. The secret is in the mood boosting chemical, endocannabinoid called anandamide. This particular chemical effects people’s level of euphoria by making them feel more of it, in a natural way of course. Cocoa has also shown positive effects on the reward center of the brain – which is why eating chocolate feels so damn good, and is known to trigger the release of many mood-boosting transmitters like dopamine, serotinin, and some endorphins, which in turn increase your levels of happiness.
2. Increase Your Sex Drive
Cocoa is widely known for having aphrodisiac-like effects due to one other mood-enhancing chemical called phenethylamine known to release the very same endorphins released at a time we fall in love, which is why, according to experts, cocoa and thus chocolate can improve one’s sex life.
3. Protect Cardiovascular System
Flavanols are yet another group of anti-inflammatory chemicals found in cocoa, powerful antioxidants proven to benefit one’s heart and cardio vascular system in general. They can improve blood circulation, protect your body from cardiovascular disease, and lower your risk of stroke. Polyphenols, also found in cocoa play an important role in LDL (bad cholesterol) levels reduction and atherosclerosis prevention. What cocoa can do for your heart is absolutely amazing.
4. Prevent Skin Wrinkles
Polyphenols are also known for protecting your skin cells from premature oxidation caused by environmental stress, sun, and bad nutrition, thus keeping your skin from forming wrinkles and getting that aged look. They can also improve its texture and glow by improving skin’s microcirculation and cell hydration. A teaspoon of cocoa in your diet and you can bring youthfulness and brightness to your skin.
5. Boost Brain Power
Numerous studies have found cocoa to be extremely beneficial to your memory and cognitive function in general. It’s been shown that by increasing blood-flow to the brain it can possible prevent age-related cognitive issues, and other neurological diseases.
6. Improve Digestive Health
Flavanols found in cocoa can have a great positive effect on your gut health, since when digested they become prebiotics, and it is known that prebiotics in combination with probiotics balance out the bacterial flora in your gut, ensuring the flourishing of beneficial bacteria in your stomach, thus improving health of the entire digestive system.
7.Keeps Fat From Getting Stored
And probably the most important reason, when it comes fitness enthusiasts, is cocoa’s effect on one’s metabolism. Polyphenols in cocoa have been proven to improve body’s ability to efficiently metabolize the dietary fat, preventing it from becoming fatty tissue. It’s called lipid metabolism moderation.
As you can see, cocoa can bring many great benefits, IF introduced into your daily nutritional regimen and consumed as suggested to maximize its absorption. Cocoa shouldn’t be eaten with sugar, as sugar ingestion negates the benefits cocoa offers. Cocoa also shouldn’t be taken with milk since dairy products can render the antioxidants found in cocoa not as effective.
