Did you know that studies that promote chocolate’s amazing health benefits are not referring to the chocolate you usually buy in stores? The chocolate that they are referring to is raw cacao. (http://www.bmj.com/content/343/bmj.d4488)
Raw cacao powder is made by peeling cacao beans and extracting their cores to be broken into nibs. These are ground into cacao paste. The fat from the paste is extracted from the solid part and the residue dried and finely ground into cacao powder. Cacao powder contains less fat and more fibre than the beans. The production process preserves a significant proportion of the nutritional value of the beans without any additives.
HERE ARE 10 HEALTH BENEFITS OF RAW CACAO:
1. Lowers insulin resistance. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16027246)
2. Protects your nervous system: Cacao is high in resveratrol, an antioxidant known for its ability to cross your blood-brain barrier to help protect your nervous system.
3. Shields nerve cells from damage. (http://www.medsci.org/press/cocoa.html)
4. Reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18296357)
5. Reduces your risk of stroke. (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/249650.php)
6. Reduces blood pressure. (http://www.naturalnews.com/037018_cocoa_blood_pressure_flavanols.html)
7. Slows the ageing process by assisting with nitric oxide metabolism: Nitric oxide protects your heart by relaxing your blood vessels and thereby lowering your blood pressure. However, nitric oxide production produces adverse reactions and toxic metabolites, which must be neutralised by your body so they don’t result in oxidative damage to your blood vessel lining. Cocoa polyphenols protect your body from these metabolites and help counter the typical age-related decline in nitric oxide production.
8. Guards against toxins: as a potent antioxidant, cacao can repair the damage caused by free radicals and may reduce the risk of certain cancers. In fact cacao contains far more antioxidants per 100g than acai, goji berries and blueberries. Antioxidants are responsible for 10% of the weight of raw cacao.
9. Boosts your mood: cacao can increase levels of certain neurotransmitters that promote a sense of well-being. And the same brain chemical that is released when we experience deep feelings of love – phenylethylamine – is found in chocolate.
10. It is rich in minerals: magnesium, iron, potassium, calcium, zinc, copper and manganese.
Did you know that research shows that dairy inhibits the absorption of antioxidants from raw cacao? So if you are making a cacao drink you are better off using a non-dairy milk like almond, rice or coconut in order to reap all of the antioxidant benefits. (http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v424/n6952/abs/4241013a.html)
Source: iQuitSugar
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