One or two cups of hot chocolate a day is a practical way of increasing intake of antioxidants. The reason, recent studies have shown that brown flour is more antioxidants than other beverages such as tea and even red wine.
Drunk
Researchers from Cornell University found that hot chocolate contains more antioxidants per glass. In addition, this beverage is a delicious alternative to obtain and maintain a healthy diet rich in healthy antioxidants. Antioxidants are chemicals that declared effective against cancer, heart disease and aging processes.
Should be drunk? According to the researchers, although cocoa powder can be found in various products, such as chocolate bars, drinking is the most effective way of maximizing the benefits of foods. This is because chocolate bars are rich in saturated fats. One 40 gram chocolate bar for example, contains about 8 grams of saturated fat. This number is far greater than the amount of saturated fat in the average cup of hot chocolate (0.3 grams).
In addition, pure cocoa drink can help you get positive benefits in terms of blood pressure regulation and glucose metabolism. However, people tend to eat processed chocolate which already contains many undesirable components (such as sugar, corn syrup, fat milk / cream, milk, and that has hydrogenated oil). In this refined products, content of brown powder, usually less than 20%.
Reduce the risk of disease
Expressed cocoa can reduce the risk of stroke, heart failure, cancer and diabetes to less than 10%. Natural cocoa contains high levels of epicatechin. Epicatechin is one of a group of chemicals known as flavonoids (serves to improve circulation and heart health supportive factors other).
The fact that Kuna people (Indians who live on the islands of San Blas) who drink a lot of flavonoid-rich cocoa (3-4 glasses a day) rarely have high blood pressure and signs of other cardiac disease. In addition to facilitate blood circulation, laboratory tests also showed that flavonoids can relax blood vessels network.
Flavonoid in cocoa powder is believed to maintain heart health because it can change the number patologikal processes involved in the development of cardiovascular disease. Flavonoids are working with:
Inhibit oxidation of LDL bad cholesterol by free radicals (the first step the formation of plaque in arteries / atherosclerosis).
Pressing the tendency of blood cells are small (platelets) sticking to each other and form a blood coagulation. This is known as the effect of aspirin.
Regulate inflammation and immune responses in the blood vessel wall.
Set the flexibility of blood vessels, or the contraction of small blood vessels, which also affect high blood pressure.
Benefits. Although most studies focus on cardiovascular health, scientists also studied the effects of cocoa flavonoids in the fight against cancer and diseases related to inflammation or immune function disorders. The results of the study reported that cocoa powder diarrhea due to potential deal in which the flavonoid capable of inhibiting the secretion of fluid in the small intestine.