Who and when tried to use the derivatives of cocoa beans - grated cocoa and butter - is unknown, but people have long been of particular interest specifically to products from the fruits of any plants, tk. they contain a maximum of useful components. And cocoa butter is no exception.
How useful is cocoa butter?
The properties of cocoa butter - its benefits and harm - are contained in its composition. And, fortunately, the utility of this product exceeds its harmful qualities. The main components of cocoa butter are fatty acids: linoleic, stearic, oleic and palmitic. These acids are considered necessary, without them many processes in the body are violated.
Stearic and linoleic acids are very important for the health of the skin. With a shortage of these substances, the integrity of the skin is impaired, its elasticity, the ability to regenerate and the processes of formation of new cells decrease. Infringement of this basic barrier of an organism from influence of an environment can lead to very serious consequences - infection of internal tissues and organs.
In addition, in the oil of cocoa beans contains vitamins E and F, as well as iron, zinc and other microelements. Polyphenols, which are part of the cocoa butter, have antioxidant properties, i.e. promote the removal of free radicals that cause aging. Another useful property of food cocoa butter is the ability to cheer up. The antidepressant effect is due to the presence of theobromine, theophylline and phenylethylamine in the cocoa butter. And he is known to all lovers of good chocolate.
The main harm of cocoa butter is in its calorie and allergenicity. Excessive consumption of a product with a caloric content of 899 calories will not only lead to obesity, but also diseases of the cardiovascular system. But a small amount of cocoa butter on the contrary, can help clean the vessels of cholesterol.
And cocoa butter contains caffeine and has a small exciting effect, which may be inappropriate in the afternoon, because will cause insomnia .
Cocoa butter in cooking
Cocoa butter has excellent taste qualities - it is very tender and has a light aroma of chocolate. At home, it is used for making sweets and other sweets - fruits in chocolate, bars with nuts, dried fruits or coconut shavings, drinks. In the porridge of cocoa butter, you can replace the usual creamy - the usual dish will get an unusual taste and become more useful.