Cocoa Butter

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

Cocoa butter (Oleum theobromatis) represents a significant percentage of the composition of cocoa beans. It is obtained after pressing cocoa beans and has been considered a natural pure fat for thousands of years, which brings only benefits to human health and beauty. Today, cocoa butter is widely used in the cosmetics industry, confectionery, pharmacy and others.

This naturally hardened vegetable oil is rich in antioxidants that prevent it from tanning for a long time. When done correctly cocoa butter storage can last between 2 and 5 years. It is an absolutely pure product without any chemical impurities. Therefore, it is not necessary to purify further.

Cocoa butter is considered for one of the most stable and hard fats known to humans. It has a pleasant and smooth texture with an even more pleasant and beloved aroma of cocoa. The color is light brown and can be easily crushed into large pieces.

Although cocoa butter remains slightly in the shade of cocoa powder, it is no less useful and effective product, widely used. Cocoa butter is part of a large number of quality beach products, various balms and body lotions, soaps and creams. In pharmacy, what oil is used to make suppositories (suppositories).

The core of each fruit of the cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao) contains between 16 and 60 cocoa seeds. Cocoa is an evergreen tree of the Malvaceae family. It originates from the subequatorial forests of Central and South America, but subsequently spread to Africa and Asia. The cocoa tree itself reaches a height of 8 - 10 m in height, and when it blooms, it is sprinkled with beautiful - pale pink flowers. The cocoa tree begins to bear fruit after its fourth year and this continues until its 80th birthday.

The cocoa fruits themselves are elliptical and large and reach up to 500 g in weight, having a length of about 30 cm. Their skin is yellow, orange and red. The cocoa beans themselves resemble beans, so you can sometimes find them as cocoa beans. As mentioned, what kind of seeds with a fairly high fat content (about 50%), which is actually cocoa butter.

The use of cocoa butter Cocoa was cultivated by the first civilization of South America - the Olmecs, who were later inherited by the Maya and Aztecs. They preserved the centuries-old traditions of growing cocoa plantations and making chocolate. Native American tribes loved to drink a hot cocoa drink with chili.

Corn, salt and crushed anato (Bixa Orellana) were often added. The cocoa beans were vigorously crushed with various impurities to produce a thick foam on the surface. For them, the cocoa tree was a sacred plant, deeply associated with religious ceremonies and ceremonies, at family and wedding celebrations. They even used them as currency.

The most expensive and valuable variety of cocoa is considered to be Criollo, originally grown in South America. However, only 10% of the world's chocolate is made from it. After pressing the cocoa beans, cocoa butter is obtained, which is the main ingredient for making chocolate products and especially white chocolate.

Composition of cocoa butter

Cocoa beans contain about 50% fat, which is actually cocoa butter, of which about 7% is starch, 5% water, 4% cellulose, 2% theobromine, 20% protein and 6% minerals. About 300 substances have been identified in cocoa beans so far. One of the greatest riches of cocoa are many fatty acids - stearic acid 34%, oleic acid 34%, palmitic acid 26%, linolenic acid 2%, other saturated fatty acids 4%.

Cocoa butter has a concentrated content of saturated fats - about 2/3, which, however, are useful and do not adversely affect blood fats and cholesterol levels. Stearic acid is a saturated fatty acid, which, however, has a positive effect on reducing triglycerides and plaques in blood vessels and can not cause cardiovascular disease.

Cocoa and cocoa butter are rich in flavonoids (powerful antioxidants) and also have a high content of vitamin E and polyphenols (also antioxidants in cocoa butter). Cocoa is believed to contain much more antioxidants than black tea, green tea and even wine.

In 100 grams of cocoa there are: about 500 Kcal, proteins 18 - 22 g, fats 25 - 30 g, carbohydrates 40 g, minerals 6.5 g, calcium 100 - 120 mg, magnesium 400 - 500 mg, potassium 1500 mg, phosphorus 650 mg, zinc 3.5 mg, iron 10 - 12 mg, as well as copper, selenium, oxalic acid 470 mg, theobromine 2300 mg, many B vitamins (vitamin B1 0.13 mg, vitamin B2 0, 40 mg, vitamin B3 and 2.70 mg, vitamin B6 0.14 mg, vitamin B9 0.038 mg). The same amount of cocoa contains 68 mg of caffeine.

Culinary application

Apart from finding different applications for making chocolate products in the confectionery industry, cocoa butter is often added to various home-made drinks and desserts, where you can be sure that this fat will not have a negative impact on your health.

Cocoa butter is used in the preparation of beverages with milk, it is added to ice cream, to coffee, honey, nuts and dried fruits. An important condition in the culinary processing of cocoa butter is not to heat more than 35-40 degrees, which allows the preservation of its useful substances.

Benefits of cocoa butter

Although chocolate was one of the biggest enemies of the slim waist until a few years ago, these claims have long been shaken. On the contrary - it is claimed that the cocoa product helps to regulate body weight and not gain weight. Of course, this is possible only with controlled consumption of natural chocolate up to 40 g per day.

It is important to note that cocoa products protect teeth from the harmful effects of sugar, which automatically removes the accusation from cocoa that it spoils teeth. In Rule most cocoa butter there are in natural, darker, dark chocolates that are preferable.

In addition, pure cocoa and cocoa butter are useful for the work of the heart. This is due to the antioxidant flavonoids, due to which the consumption of cocoa products reduces the risk of stroke and heart attack by as much as 39% even with minimal daily consumption. Chocolate with at least 75% cocoa content is very useful for maintaining elastic and healthy arteries and good functioning of the cardiovascular system.

Even the Aztecs considered cocoa and chocolate a strong aphrodisiac, which to this day remains largely so. With the difference that nowadays there is a scientific justification for this. The stimulating effect of cocoa and cocoa butter is based on the content of theobromine and caffeine. On top of that, cocoa products stimulate the brain, stimulating the production of endorphins - the hormones of happiness. This is due to phenythylamines, which stimulate the activity of nerve cells and activate brain activity.

The biggest advantage of cocoa butter is that it is extremely beneficial for the skin and its strength and protection. If you lubricate your skin with cocoa butter before sun exposure, you will get a thick and healthy complexion. It is no coincidence that cocoa bean oil is so widely used in cosmetics. It has been proven to hydrate and regenerate the skin, making it smooth and soft. It has a healthy and regenerating effect because it fills the lack of vitamins and minerals in the skin, giving it elasticity.

Many ladies resort to the external use of cocoa butter because it has a very effective effect on the removal of stretch marks and scars. In this regard, pregnant women can treat their skin with cocoa butter to protect it from the unpleasant consequences resulting from the natural process of stretching and gaining weight.

If you regularly lubricate your body with cocoa butter, you will enjoy smooth skin, without wrinkles, protected from allergic and inflammatory processes, well hydrated and evenly pigmented. Cocoa butter has an antioxidant effect and neutralizes harmful radicals.