Cocoa has been a sought-after food for centuries, with the Majas and Aztecs already enjoying its delicate flavor. But while they still brewed a bitter drink from the cocoa beans, cocoa only developed into a popular luxury drink in Europe when it was mixed with sugar. Today, there are many uses for cocoa powder. But whether it’s a cup of hot chocolate, a slice of cocoa cake or a bar of chocolate, the sweet powder does our soul good. This is due to certain active ingredients in cocoa, which have a mood-lifting effect on us humans.
Sugar content in cocoa mixtures
When eating products containing cocoa, however, it should be noted that industrially produced cocoa mixtures are usually not healthy, as they are heavily enriched with sugar and therefore also have many calories. However, the high sugar content refers only to industrially manufactured cocoa powder, because natural cocoa contains only about one percent sugar.
Cocoa has a high fat content
When it comes to the ingredients of cocoa, the first thing that stands out is its high fat content of 54 percent. In addition, cocoa is composed as follows:
- 11.5 percent protein
- 9 percent cellulose
- 5 percent water
- 2.6 percent minerals
The minerals present in cocoa include potassium and magnesium. In addition, cocoa also contains important fiber and vitamin E.
It is estimated that a total of about 300 different ingredients are present in cocoa. These ingredients also include serotonin and dopamine, which can cause a mood-lifting effect in humans and increase well-being. They help with depression, but can also provide first aid in cases of lovesickness, for example.
Cocoa is rich in calories
Compared to other foods, cocoa has relatively many calories (kcal), 100 grams of cocoa powder bring it to about 350 calories. The calorie content of commercially available cocoa powder is sometimes even higher, because the powder is usually heavily enriched with sugar. These products usually contain only a small amount of real cocoa powder, often no more than 25 percent. In terms of calorie content, however, there are major differences in cocoa powder, depending on how heavily the powder has been de-oiled or sugared. Highly deoiled, unsweetened cocoa, for example, only has around 250 calories. 100 grams of dark chocolate, by the way, bring it on average to about 500 calories.
Mix cocoa powder yourself
If you want to know exactly what’s in your hot chocolate and how many calories it has, it’s best to mix your own cocoa according to your own recipe. However, the mixing ratio between natural cocoa powder and sugar is purely a matter of taste and must be tried out individually. For starters, a ratio of sugar and cocoa powder of 3:2 is recommended. For tasty variations, you can additionally refine the cocoa with spices such as cinnamon, vanilla or even cayenne pepper powder.
From the cocoa bean to chocolate
Cocoa represents the most important basic material for the production of chocolate. However, the cocoa beans contained in the fruits of the cacao tree do not yet have the typical sweet taste that we know from foods containing cocoa. This is due to the fact that the fruits still have a relatively high content of bitter substances. It is a long way from the cocoa bean to the finished cocoa powder:
- The harvested cocoa fruit is opened, whereupon the pulp begins to ferment.
- The resulting alcohol stops the germination of the seeds and they lose some of their bitter substances. In total, this process takes about ten days.
- Then the cocoa beans are dried and delivered to chocolate-producing countries.
- Here, the beans are first processed into cocoa liquor and later cocoa butter and cocoa powder.
The cocoa butter is a fat pressed from the cocoa mass. It is contained together with the cocoa powder in most types of chocolate. Milk chocolate also contains milk or cream powder, while white chocolate contains only cocoa butter and sugar.
Healthy effect: cocoa lowers blood pressure.
Chocolate varieties with a cocoa content of over 70 percent are said to have a blood pressure-lowering effect.This is due to the fact that cocoa contains many flavanols, which have a positive effect on the elasticity of the blood vessels and thus also on blood pressure. Thus, cocoa can also help to reduce the risk of stroke. The substances theobromine and theophylline contained in cocoa also have a stimulating effect on the circulatory system and the central nervous system. Dark chocolate varieties also contain particularly high levels of antioxidants, which act as radical scavengers in the body. Despite these positive effects of cocoa, it should always be noted that the health effects of cocoa have not yet been conclusively clarified. 5 facts about cocoa – Anna Quaglia
Chocolate only in small quantities
The positive effects of cocoa on our health may encourage some to increase their consumption of chocolate. However, in large quantities, chocolate is not healthy, but makes you fat. For example, if you consume a bar of chocolate every day, you cancel out all the positive effects of chocolate on your body. One or two pieces of chocolate per day, on the other hand, are allowed, and varieties that have a high cocoa content are particularly recommended.
Harmful substances in cocoa?
With cocoa and chocolate, however, one should not overdo it with the consumption for another reason: Because depending on the level of cadmium in the soil where the cocoa trees were grown, the cocoa powder may also be contaminated with cadmium. Cadmium is a chemical element that can cause damage to kidneys and bones in the human body. Due to the high cocoa content in dark chocolates, the cadmium content in these varieties can also be particularly high. For several years now, the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment has been calling for the introduction of a limit value in chocolate, but this demand has not yet been implemented. Another reason why cocoa and chocolate should be enjoyed in moderation is the increased aluminum content. In a 2008 opinion, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) assessed the average aluminum content of unprocessed foods to be less than 5 mg/kg. However, some foods, including cocoa and chocolate products, may have higher concentrations.
Cocoa: for healthy skin
Cocoa not only has an internal effect on our health and mental well-being, but also our skin is pleased with the brown mass. For cosmetic treatments, especially the cocoa butter is attractive, it is used among other things in lip balms as well as in body care products. Since cocoa butter already melts at body temperature and leaves a soft feeling on the skin, it is well suited for skin care. It is also said to lead to slower skin aging and provide the skin with extra moisture. It is especially suitable for use on dry and cracked skin and therefore serves as an additive in many lotions, creams and soaps. During pregnancy, a daily rubbing of the abdomen with products containing cocoa butter is also said to prevent the formation of the unpopular stretch marks.
Face mask with cocoa
Cocoa is also popular for face masks, with the following recipe you can easily conjure up a cocoa mask for yourself: to do this, mix one teaspoon each of cottage cheese, avocado oil and cocoa powder and then apply to the face. Leave on for a quarter of an hour and then rinse off with lukewarm water. The cocoa mask stimulates blood circulation in the skin and provides extra moisture.