Benefits of Cocoa

Benefits of Cocoa

• The main component in cocoa is flavonoids. These compounds are found in plants and in plant-based foods and beverages. The cocoa flavonoids are effective antioxidants. They eliminate harmful free radicals from cells in the body, thereby limiting the damage that they can cause.
  
  
• Cocoa also offers protection to the heart. Cardiovascular disease can use many different mechanisms to affect blood vessel function. In the early stages of heart disease, artery walls begin to harden and restrict blood flow. In time, this leads to blood clotting. Eventually, a blood clot could cause a heart attack or stroke. The flavonoids in cocoa suppress the tendency of small blood vessels to clump together and form blood clots. In this sense, cocoa flavonoids have an aspirin-like effect.
  
  
• The antioxidant properties of cocoa remove LDL cholesterol or bad cholesterol. In doing so, it reduces chances of the artery walls hardening.
  
  
• The cocoa flavonoids are believed to be cancer inhibitors. They cannot prevent cancer but have the power to inhibit many associated effects.
  
  
• The flavonoids are proven to treat diarrhea. Cocoa inhibits fluids found in the small intestine.