Cocoa Butter Benefits

The butter of cocoa is a yellowish colored, pure edible vegetable fat, which is obtained from the cacao bean. Cacao or Theobroma cacao, is an evergreen plant. There are pods on the plant which contain plenty of seeds, and each seed contains 40-50% butter. It is used to make many foodstuffs and cosmetics.

Cocoa butter in its purest form looks like solid cubes of pale or ivory colored fat. You can buy it at health stores, or use its sticks or lotions for skin care. It is also used in making of dark chocolate.

It is used in many skin care products, as it is rich in fat, and when it is used on face or other body parts, it greatly moisturizes the skin. It also makes the skin soft and is easily absorbed by the skin.

It allows the moisturizer to pass through the skin, without blocking any air. It has a nice light aroma, like chocolate, and thus is a common ingredient in many lotions and moisturizers. It has a soothing aroma, relieves stress, and helps to relax when used for a massage.

As it is readily absorbed by skin, and has strong antioxidant properties, when the butter is used on skin, it protects the skin from harmful environmental elements. It is also used to treat and prevent stretch marks, as it keeps the skin protected and hydrated.

It is also helpful for alleviating symptoms of skin disorders like eczema and dermatitis. The strong antioxidants also give it a long shelf life. Thus, it is one of the most stable vegetable fats, and can be stored for two to five years.

The antioxidants act like scavengers against harmful free radicals present in the body. These free radicals harm the living body cells, and so dark chocolates are considered to be very good for health. These antioxidants are present in the form of flavonoids which protect the arteries and heart from the damaging effects of free radicals.

It is used to make pharmaceutical products which help to relieve from arthritis and used for making products which help in preventing heart diseases.

It has a neutral effect on cholesterol. As it contains fat, which is good and not harmful, it doesn't have any harmful effect on the cholesterol in the blood.

High quality chocolates containing this ingredient, contain a chemical called Pentamer. This chemical is supposed to help in prevention of cancer.

Ever wondered, why people, when they are sad eat chocolates? It is because cocoa butter in chocolates helps to raise the levels of chemicals called serotonin and endorphin in the brain which improve the mood.

The benefits of cocoa butter are more proven for skin and thus, it is used in so many cosmetic products. You can use it in the form of sticks, lotion, bars, creams, etc., and eat the many dark chocolate varieties containing this ingredient to enjoy good health.