4-HEALTH-BENEFITS-OF-COCOA

HEALTH BENEFITS OF COCOA EDWARD O. AMPORFUL CHIEF PHARMACIST COCOA CLINIC JULY 24, 2018



OUTLINE • BACKGROUND • LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE • ANTI-OXIDANT CAPACITY • IMPROVES BRAIN HEALTH • BALANCES CHOLESTEROL LEVELS • IMPROVES DIABETES CONTROL • RELIEVES BRONCHIAL ASTHMA • SPEEDS UP HEALING • MANAGES OBESITY • IMPROVES CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH • COCOA ENHANCES MOOD • COCOA PREVENTS CANCER

BACKGROUND • Cocoa beans are the fermented seeds of the cacao tree • Latin name is Theobroma cacao, which means “Food of the Gods”. • Native to the Amazon region • Historically considered a very important crop in Central and South America. • The beans were so prized that the native tribes used them as a form of currency. • Cocoa consumption dates back to 1600' BC with an Aztec Emperor calling cocoa a divine drink which built up resistance and reduced fatigue. • The Aztecs had found out that a cup of cocoa drink permitted a man to walk for a whole day without food (Cortes H, 1519).

• Cocoa powder is a low-calorie food. • 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder contains 12 calories – less than 1% of your daily intake if you follow a typical 2,000-calorie diet • macronutrients – proteins, fats and carbohydrates. • 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder contains = 1 g of protein and 0.74g of fat, 0.5g of cocoa butter. • 1 tablespoon of the powder also contains about 3g of total carbohydrates, including almost 2g of beneficial dietary fiber.

• Cocoa contains over 700 known compounds. • Antioxidant compounds in cocoa. Antioxidants are compounds that plants manufacture to prevent their own cells from premature destruction due to exposure to heat, light, air, moisture and time. • In the human body, many of these compounds prevent reactive oxygen species (ROS) from destroying cells and causing premature aging and disease. • Cocoa is rich in polyphenols, a group of protective antioxidant compounds found in many plant foods. The highest concentration is found in cocoa- polyphenols include anthocyanins, isoflavones, flavanones, flavonols, flavanols, and flavones. • flavanols in cocoa, including flavan-3-ols, catechins, epicatechins and proanthocyanidins-naturally-occurring substances protect the cells of our bodies from premature destruction, and help to reduce the risk of killer diseases.

• Consuming cocoa powder modestly increases intake of Vit. E, Vit. K. • Modest source of choline, a nutrient that aids in nerve communication within your brain. • Consuming cocoa powder slightly boosts your intake of several B vitamins

• Each serving of cocoa powder provides selenium, copper and magnesium. • The powder also provides a modest source of iron • 1 tablespoon contains 0.75 mg Fe, that is 9% of the daily recommended intake for men and women over age 50, or 4% of the recommended intake for women under 50 years of age.

LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE • Flavonoid-rich cocoa reduces blood pressure and improves the elasticity of blood vessels. • These favorable changes are attributed to the presence of antioxidants through stimulation of the production of nitric oxide resulting in blood vessels relaxation. • Furthermore, this helps in maintaining a healthy circulatory system.

ANTI-OXIDANT CAPACITY • Cocoa exhibits higher antioxidant activity than black tea, green tea, and red wine. • Antioxidants help neutralize the oxygen-based free radicals that are present in the body. • Cocoa is abundant in phenolic phytochemicals and possesses a high amount of flavonoids as well.

IMPROVES BRAIN HEALTH • Flavanol-rich cocoa aids in maintaining a healthy brain. • These neuroprotective benefits could also have favorable effects on learning and memory functions. • Consumption of cocoa-based products enhances the flow of blood to the brain and have proven therapeutic potential for curing vascular disorders

BALANCES CHOLESTEROL LEVELS • Cocoa has hypoglycemic and hypocholesterolemic effects on both glucose and cholesterol levels. • A diet containing cocoa has also shown a reduction in triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, and glucose level. • It has also demonstrated a noteworthy rise in the levels of healthy HDL cholesterol in the test subjects

IMPROVES DIABETES CONTROL • Consumption of cocoa improves insulin resistance and glucose metabolism. • Proanthocyanidins in cocoa inhibit the cataract formation occasionally induced by diabetes. • Cocoa exerts protective antioxidant activity in the treatment of long-term diabetic complications such as diabetic nephrotoxicity. • Free radicals aggravate these diabetic complications by promoting oxidative stress leading to cell and tissue damage. • The free radical scavenging activity of cocoa prevent cellular and tissue damade. • Consumption of flavanol-rich cocoa improves vascular function of diabetics on various medications.

RELIEVES BRONCHIAL ASTHMA • Cacao beans contain methylxanthines which aid in relaxing bronchial smooth muscles. • This facilitates an easy flow of air and is valuable in curing various allergies, including asthma and shortness of breath.

SPEEDS UP HEALING • Cocoa extracts have been trusted for their therapeutic and wound-healing properties in the manufacturing of natural medicinal products. • The extracts help in preventing the development of various kinds of infections in the body

MANAGES OBESITY • Cocoa prevents high-fat-diet-induced obesity. • Its intake helps in modulating lipid metabolism and reducing the synthesis and transport of fatty acids. • It has also demonstrated an improvement in thermogenesis, the mechanism of heat production in white adipose tissues and the liver.

IMPROVES CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH • Cocoa is rich in flavonoids namely, procyanidin, catechin, and epicatechin, which have antioxidant properties and help in protecting the cells from damage while strengthening the heart. • It also aids in improving endothelial function and stimulating the beneficial HDL cholesterol. • It helps in preventing the formation of fatal blood clots, which can lead to stroke or cardiac failure. • Blood platelets play an important role in cardiovascular disorders. Cocoa flavonoids prevent platelet-aggregation and modulate primary haemostasis, which is the measure of time blood takes to clot. • These effects help in preventing the proliferation of various medical conditions such as atherosclerosis and thrombosis, which are some of the prime causes of more serious cardiovascular diseases.

COCOA ENHANCES MOOD • Cocoa has antidepressant effects. • Cocoa flavonols improve mood, combat depression, and promote improved cognitive activities during persistent mental exertion. • The presence of the neurochemical phenylethylamine in it also helps in enhancing feelings of contentment and promoting aphrodisiac effects.

COCOA-AN APHRODISIAC • Another mood-enhancing compound found in cacao is PEA or phenethylamine, which triggers the release of endorphins and pleasurable opium-like neurochemicals. • PEA release naturally when we fall in love and during sexual activity. (The only other food on earth that contains PEA is blue-green algae.) • PEA improve libido, which is probably why chocolate is so popular on Valentine ’s Day or as a token of love.

• Cocoa additionally boosts a sense of well being by increasing brain levels of serotonin- the so-called feel-good brain chemical. • cocoa provides a highly desirable mood boost to women during PMS and menstruation, when serotonin levels are often down

• Anandamide is a cannabinoid, a member of the same psychoactive substances found in cannabis. • Anandamide binds to the same receptor sites in the brain as THC- and produces a global feeling of euphoria • This compound may account for why some people become euphoric or blissed-out when they eat chocolate

TREATS CONSTIPATION • Consumption of cocoa husk exerts therapeutic effects in treating chronic constipation and bowel function diseases. • Consumption of fiber-rich cocoa products resulted in faster colonic, rectal and intestinal transit times. • Regular consumption of cocoa encourages better bowel function by a reduction in bowel movement time, increase in the frequency of bowel movements, and a softer consistency of stool without inducing any other side effects like gastrointestinal discomfort or abdominal pain.

COCOA PREVENTS CANCER • Cocoa inhibits the growth of cancer cells without affecting the growth of normal healthy cells. • Cocoa flavonols and procyanidins have chemopreventive and anti-proliferative qualities. • These healing effects have proven extremely valuable in the treatment of various types of cancers.

COCOA TREATS COPPER DEFICIENCY • The cocoa bean is quite valuable in copper substitution therapy, and has resulted in significant improvements in the hemoglobin level, leucocyte count, and copper content. • Cocoa is considered valuable as a copper-rich component to be included in the diet to maintain normal levels of copper as well as a remedy for treating copper deficiency. • It helps in preventing and treating the diseases caused due to copper deficiency in the body such as anaemia, neutropenia, and leukopenia.

REDUCTION OF CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME • Cocoa has been shown to exert calming effects on people suffering from chronic fatigue. • Related to the release of neurotransmitters like serotonin, anandamide, and phenylethylamine in the brain, which exert protective effects from oxidative stress on the neuronal cells and helps in combating chronic fatigue syndrome.

• Cocoa is a sensuous delight whose rich flavour, silky mouth feel and earthy aroma have captured the palates and imaginations of people for over 3000 yrs. • cocoa is an aphrodisiac by virtue of smell, taste and feel alone. • The Aztec king Montezuma reputedly drank a large goblet of the drink before retiring to his harem. • The legendary Venetian lover and seducer Giovanni Giacomo Casanova reputedly consumed cocoa before bedding women.



COCOA-A GOOD SKIN CARE PRODUCT • Cocoa has also been found to be effective in maintaining good skin health. • Consumption of flavonol-rich cocoa helps in decreasing the effects of UV- induced erythema, and reducing skin roughness and scaling. • It also aids in enhancing skin elasticity, hydration, and density. • Epicatechin present in cacao aids in elevating the oxygen saturation of hemoglobin, stimulating the healthy flow of blood in the dermal tissues, and contributing to endogenous photo-protection. • It is used in the preparation of various skin care products.

TREATMENT OF NEURODEGENERATIVE DISORDERS • Cocoa flavonols such as epicatechin and catechin are beneficial in treating neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. • These phytochemicals have synergistic qualities, which aid in reducing the oxidative stress on the mind. • This helps in preventing neuronal cell damage and exerts a protective effect on the cellular membrane against cytotoxicity

COCOA PREVENTS MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY • Cocoa prevents the ill effects of a magnesium deficiency in the body. • Regular consumption of cocoa products may prove beneficial in preventing the adverse effects caused due to a diet lacking in magnesium for an extended period of time.

RECAP • BACKGROUND • LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE • ANTI-OXIDANT CAPACITY • IMPROVES BRAIN HEALTH • BALANCES CHOLESTEROL LEVELS • IMPROVES DIABETES CONTROL • RELIEVES BRONCHIAL ASTHMA • SPEEDS UP HEALING • MANAGES OBESITY • IMPROVES CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH • COCOA ENHANCES MOOD • COCOA PREVENTS CANCER

Ghana is the 2nd largest producer of cocoa in the world. Ghana is the largest producer of premium quality cocoa in the world. Ghana‟s per capita consumption of cocoa is estimated around 0.5kg, an average that is considered woefully inadequate.

CONCLUSION • Increased consumption of cocoa will no doubt improve the health of people of the country • Increased consumption of cocoa will no doubt transform the economy of the country.

• THANK YOU.