Juicing For Health - Raw Cacao
Raw Cacao
Raw Cacao is the latest superfood to come under the spotlight for its vast health benefits. When we think of chocolate we usually think of the overly processed milk chocolate bars, thus not a food we commonly associate with improving health.
It is important that to get the full benefits of dark chocolate that it must be in its raw state and from what most of the studies so far have suggested the cacao percentage must be at least 70%.
There are many ways to include the tasty nutrient packed raw cacao into your lifestyle easily such as adding cacao powder to smoothies/foods and snacking on cacao nibs are some of the easy ways to include cacao into your diet.
Raw Cacao Health Benefits
- Raw cacao is an outstanding source of antioxidants. Minus two spices cinnamon and cloves, raw cacao was shown to have the highest ORAC(Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity) of any of the foods tested.
Antioxidants contained in raw cacao are beneficial to many areas of health such as lowering blood pressure, reducing cholesterol and in turn reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke. The high concentration of antioxidants will also lower the risk of cancer.
- Cacao is a very good source of the mineral Magnesium. Magnesium is one of the most important nutrients in heart function and has been shown to be needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body.
- Cacao is also a good source of the mineral sulfur. Sulfur has many functions such as building strong hair and nails, is a good mineral for healthy skin, promoting detoxification of the liver and much more.
- Cacao is a great brain and mood food due to many of the chemicals and compounds it contains naturally such as dopamine, tryptophan, anandamine, phenylethylamine(PEA) and MAO inhibitors.
- Phenylethylamine(PEA) also known as the "love chemical" has many known functions such as helping increase mental focus/alertness and helps us feel connected to others. PEA is released in great amounts when we are in love.
- Raw chocolate contains small amounts of anandamine which is an endogenous cannabinoid found naturally in the brain. Anandamine is also known as the "bliss chemical" as we produce it naturally when were feeling bliss.
Two chemicals similar to anandamine in cacao, inhibit the metabolism of anandamine allowing it to stay available to the brain longer.
- Supports and enhances cardiovascular health
Side Effects/Precautions
The only real downside to raw cacao is the caffeine, theobromine and other mild stimulants they contain. Individuals who suffer from anxiety or disorders such as adrenal gland dysfunction should probably avoid cacao products or test a small amount to see how they react.
Saying that some studies have shown that the stimulants such as caffeine contained in cacao dont work in the traditional way that they normally do such as increasing heart rate etc. The study showed that they actually had a calming effect rather than acting as a stimulant.
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