Posts Tagged Cocoa Flavanol

Cocoa May Lower Blood Pressure

A new home remedy for lowering blood pressure may be to eat cocoa daily! Harvard professor Norman Hollenberg has found evidence that cocoa rich in flavanols, antioxidant compounds found in cocoa beans, improves blood flow which may help people fighting a range of diseases, including hypertension. (Cromie)

His discovery began as a study into the genetics of a small, isolated Caribbean Indian tribe in which hypertension was virtually nonexistent. He quickly found that their resistance was not genetic, as tribe members who had integrated themselves into other societies no longer had the same resistance to high blood pressure. Hollenberg decided to study the lifestyle of the Kuna tribe, “The most outstanding finding was the fact that most them consume cocoa as their major drink and do so every day,” according to Hollenberg, “Many Kuna, in that hot and humid climate, probably drink more than five cups per day.” (Cromie)

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Natural Cocoa Powder is Rich in Antioxidants – Know How it Can Give You a Healthy Skin and Body

Many of us are searching high and low in order to get antioxidants. Now, you do not need to go far because studies have revealed that natural cocoa powder is rich in anti-oxidants. As we all know, our body needs to have enough of this to be able to remain strong and healthy. In this article, we will give you the chance to know its benefits, including its effects on your skin and body.

Natural cocoa powder is rich in anti-oxidants. This is good news especially to those who love to eat chocolates every now and then. Not many people know that this fact has been in existence for over 10 years already. Dark chocolates are famous and well loved by many of us not only because of their unique taste, but also because of their flavanol benefits. In fact, scientists of The Hershey Company and Brunswick Laboratories in Norton, MA conducted a study and published it in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. It confirms the significant levels of this substance in certain powders and dark chocolates. This study involved analysis of Hershey’s Dark Chocolates and 19 other powders. The results show that natural cocoa powder is the richest in antioxidants among all the other products tested. In fact, it contains 34.6 mg or 3.5% of flavanols for each gram of cocoa. Therefore, they have confirmed that this food is among those that have the highest levels of antioxidants.

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New study reveals components of cocoa may enhance the appearance of the skin

Cocoa butter has long been used topically in many skin creams and cosmetics because it is thought to be good for the skin. Now, new research just published in the Journal of Nutrition reveals the potential benefits of consuming flavanol-rich cocoa and how it might actually benefit skin from the inside out.

Researchers found that certain components in cocoa may actually help improve the appearance of women’s skin – increasing hydration, decreasing skin roughness and scaling, and helping to support the skin’s defense against UV damage. The German scientists attributed the observed benefits to cocoa flavanols – a group of compounds that can be particularly rich in cocoa and that have been previously reported to improve blood flow and vessel function.

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