| Definition | Cocoa butter is an edible natural fat obtained from the _Theobroma cocoa_ seeds that is predominantly found in dark chocolate [A33033]. It is a rich source of monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids [A33040] that mainly contains approximately 33% [DB04224], 25% [DB03796], and 33% [DB03193] [A20409] but does not contain caffeine or theobromine. Fat cocoa solids, including cocoa butter, have lower phenolic content than non-fat cocoa solids but may contain some polyphenols of different structures of flavonoids with antioxidant properties [A33041].
Cocoa butter is included in chocolate and other food products, and can also be found in over-the-counter skin products such as lotions, creams, and bars intended to maintain skin softness. While cocoa butter has skin moisturizing properties, it was not shown to reduce the likelihood of developing of striae gravidarum, or stretch marks, in a double-blind, randomized clinical trial of women in the first trimester [A33031]. Still, it is a common active ingredient for prevention of skin dryness in cosmetic and skincare products. Oftentimes cocoa butter is used in over-the-counter pharmaceutical products and suppositories. The lipid-lowering effects of cocoa butter have been studied and investigated, as fatty acid constituents of cocoa butter are known to exhibit lipid-lowering properties. Dyslipidemia is characterized by elevated levels of plasma triglyceride and very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol due to overproduction of large triglyceride-enriched VLDL cholesterol particles [A20409]. Cocoa butter has shown to reduce VLDL cholesterol levels in animal studies, suggesting its potential use in lipid disorders. |
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