The source of cocoa butter is the fruit of tropical trees from the genus Theobroma, which was valued even by the Indians of South America. Nowadays, the tree is cultivated in all states with a tropical climate, where it can bear fruit twice a year.
Cocoa butter is especially useful due to its high content of polyphenols. Cocoa beans contain such polyphenols as flavonoids, which improve the work of the cardiovascular system and the brain (powerful natural antioxidants). All minerals and antioxidants in the composition of the oil are “alive”, having a high degree of digestibility.
The chemical composition of cocoa butter contains triglycerides, amino acids, beta-carotene, vitamins B1, B2, B5, B6, B9, B12, C, H and PP, as well as potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, selenium, copper and manganese, iron , sulfur, iodine, phosphorus and sodium.
Cocoa butter is a healthy fat, just like coconut oil. The amount of saturated fat it contains (as opposed to unsaturated fat) is between 57 and 64 percent of the total fat content, depending on the specific species. Among the different types of fatty acids in the composition of oil oils:
- null
- stearic acid (from 24 to 37 percent of the total fat content)
- palmitic acid (from 24 to 30%)
- myristic acid (from 0 to 4 percent)
- arachidonic acid (about 1 percent)
- lauric acid (0 to 1 percent only)
Useful properties of cocoa butter
Very popular in cosmetology. It has a persistent rejuvenating effect, smoothes wrinkles and saturates the skin with useful substances (calorifier). In addition, the presence of amino acids makes cocoa butter chemically stable, it does not oxidize for a long time, which increases the shelf life of cosmetics containing cocoa butter.
