Cocoa powder is rich in biochemical compounds called flavanols which help increase nitric oxide levels and lower blood pressure.
However, it should be noted that food processing significantly lowers the number of flavanols. Thus, the blood pressure-lowering effect of cacao powder may be higher than that of a chocolate bar.
What is cocoa powder made of?
The cacao bean of the Theobroma cacao tree is crushed and processed to produce either cacao powder or cocoa powder. Cocoa powder is a highly processed form. The cacao bean is roasted at a very high temperature and crushed. Sugar and other additives are added to remove the bitterness and make it sweet.
Cacao powder is not as highly processed as cocoa powder. Thus, the difference between cacao powder and cocoa powder is in the degree of processing and the type and amount of additives.
What is cocoa powder used for?
There are so many uses of cocoa powder and they include:
- Brewing yourself a cup of hot cocoa milk drink.
- Cocoa powder is used to make black chocolate.
- You can make yourself a delicious healthy cocoa powder and banana smoothy.
- You can use cocoa powder as one of the ingredients in making yogurt.
- Cocoa powder can also be used as an ingredient when baking bread, cakes, cookies, and bans.
What is cocoa powder good for?
Cocoa powder has many health benefits including:
- Cocoa powder helps improve your attention, working memory, and brainpower.
- There are zinc, iron, and selenium in the cocoa powder which boosts your immune system.
- Selenium in cocoa powder reduces the side effects of radiotherapy in cancer patients.
- The magnesium in the cocoa powder helps maintain healthy muscles and improve the functioning of your nervous system.
- The zinc in cocoa powder promotes wound healing.
- Cocoa powder is packed with flavonols (a type of flavonoids) that lower blood pressure, improve blood flow, and prevent cell damage.
- There is theobromine in cocoa powder and it is anti-inflammatory. Thus, it protects you from heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
- Cocoa powder is a rich source of phytonutrients and is low in fat and sugar making it a good food for weight loss.
What is flavanol?
Flavanols are a type of flavonoid and they have strong antioxidant activity. Some of the flavanols are catechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin, gallocatechin, and proanthocyanidin. They are found in high concentrations in cocoa powder, tea, and grapes. They are responsible for lowering your blood pressure.
Cocoa powder lowers blood pressure:
Flavanols increase nitric oxide levels in your blood. Nitric oxide improves the way your blood vessels work thereby lowering your blood pressure. Recent studies have shown that regular intake of cocoa powder reduces your blood pressure.
One review of thirty-five published literature on the effect of cocoa powder consumption on blood pressure concluded that flavanol-rich chocolate and cocoa products lowered blood pressure by about 2mmHg in healthy adult volunteers in the short term.
A meta-analysis of published literature about whether chocolate reduces blood pressure concluded that dark chocolate is very good at reducing blood pressure.
Conclusion:
Although cocoa powder has many health benefits and contains flavanols that help reduce your blood pressure, cocoa powder also has high levels of caffeine. Consumption of large amounts of caffeine leads to negative side effects like nervousness, increased urination, sleeplessness, and increased heartbeat.
