Here we are on day 5 of my series about foods for brain health and you may be wondering why I took so long to get to todays tasty little number – cocoa.
Oh yes, research suggests that cocoa has a neuroprotective effect if you consume it in the short or long term. Good news for many. But note I’m saying cocoa not chocolate…….the information out there tends to focus on the compounds in the powder not on chocolate bars that contain cocoa butter, the saturated fat that make chocolate solid. So if you are a chocolate lover, read on before you tear open another bar 😉
Where does chocolate come from?
The source of chocolate looks very different to the final product. Chocolate is made from cacao beans, a collection of light-coloured beans found inside a large pod. The beans are rinsed then roasted to form the dark brown colour we associate with chocolate. The outer shells are removed to reveal the nibs inside. These nibs contain around 53% fat in the form of cocoa butter. They are then mashed and heated to form ‘chocolate liquor.
This liquor is the start of chocolate making. However, some ‘liquor’ is cooled and formed into hard cakes that are bitter to taste. Once set, these cakes are pounded under pressure to remove most of the cocoa butter. Cocoa butter is a highly saturated fat and very stable, unlike many unsaturated fats which are volatile and spoil easily. This makes it a popular fat for many products like body creams as well as chocolate.
Once enough of the cocoa butter is removed, the remains of the original cake are dried and pounded into a powder. This is the cocoa powder we find on the supermarket shelves. It still contains a small amount of saturated fat but also healthier monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats too.
The extracted cocoa butter (or some of it) is added to chocolate liquor along with other ingredients like sugar and milk to make chocolate. Obviously the less ingredients added, the more bitter the chocolate.
What are the health benefits of cocoa?
Cocoa contains a fantastic amount of anti-inflammatory phytonutrients called flavonoids including catechin, epicatechin and proanthocyanidins. These strong anti-oxidants are implicated in supporting brain health by helping new brain cells to develop, supporting neuroplasticity as well as helping existing damaged cells to survive. It’s even thought that epicatechin crosses the blood-brain barrier to have a direct effect on the brain.
Cocoa also contains a small amount of plant sterols that may inhibit cholesterol absorption as well as arginine, an amino acid important for nitric oxide formation (for blood vessel health – see the leafy greens post). The flavonoids also help prevent sticky blood that can lead to clot formation. All good for brain health.
Studies exploring cocoa and brain function show positive effects with both short and long term intake – good news! It seems to improve blood flow in the brain, improve general cognition and memory. And not just in older people. It has positive effects in younger people too and has shown to improve fatigue levels in people with MS.
However (and you knew this was coming!), these studies focus on cocoa powder rather than chocolate. Or a small intake of chocolate rather than a bar at a time. Although the saturated fat in cocoa butter doesn’t seem to have an impact on blood cholesterol levels, it is still a saturated fat which for conditions like multiple sclerosis needs to be avoided. Not only that but the most popular (and addictive) chocolate products contain high amounts of sugar and often dairy or refined soya products to increase their palatability. The combination of sugar and fat pings the pleasure centre in the brain, making it want more. And anyone who has had a chocolate addiction knows how strong that desire to eat more can be.
How to enjoy cocoa benefits without eating chocolate
In my mind, cocoa powder is the way to go! You can buy it raw (cacao) or roasted (cocoa) and use it for drinks, baking or raw treats. It might not be the same a eating a bar of chocolate, but they still taste awesome whilst taking care of your brain.
Here’s some suggestions for you:
- Make a tasty hot chocolate or milkshake with soya or oat milk
- Try these amazing chocolate brownies
- Or these gorgeous chocolate muffins with sweet potato frosting
- If you like your brownies raw, then try these
- Or these amazing raw energy balls
- Sweet potato chocolate brownies are amazing too – the recipe is in my book but I will put it on the blog soon
If you do want to eat chocolate, then go for the darkest and least added sugar version you can find. And moderate the amount to just 2 (small) squares a day. You’ll still get the power of those mighty flavonoids without the inflammatory excess fats and sugar.
I hope you are enjoying this series on foods for brain health. There’s two more to go in my list so make sure you have subscribed to the blog to get them direct to your inbox.
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