super food saturday - raw cacao

welcome to superfood saturday.  

every saturday i will explore a new superfood and tell you as much about it as possible so that you can make your own mind up about adding it to your own diet.

cacao powder

today's superfood that i'm exploring is cacao. i have been using cacao in my food quite a bit lately.  it's really been satisfying my chocolate cravings, but that's not all its been doing, unlike processed dark chocolate, antioxidants are preserved in raw cacao.  the antioxidants found in raw, unheated cacao include the following:

• proanthocyanidins have antioxidant activity and they play a role in the stabilization of collagen and maintenance of elastin – two critical proteins in connective tissue that support organs, joints, blood vessels, and muscle.  the cacao plant has the highest traces of this powerful antioxidant.
• reservatrol – studies show that it helps lower blood sugar levels, it can help fight against skin cancer and also has anti aging properties.
• polyphenols: catechin and epicatechin – which studies show, among other things, that it may have antibacterial activity useful to combat tooth decay.
• phenethylamine - pea, the feel good neurotransmitter responsible for the feeling of love!
• omega 6 fatty acids - which when heated become rancid and cause inflammation
• tryptophan - a commonly deficient amino acid in those who consume a diet of mostly cooked food
• serotonin – which helps with intestinal movement
• as well as the preservation of vitamin c
• magnesium - relaxes muscles, improves peristalsis in the bowels and relaxes the heart and cardiovascular system.

so it actually turns out that all the bad things that are commonly attributed to non-raw chocolate bars, such as cavities, weight gain and diabetes, are actually caused by the dairy, sugar and other fillers added to the dark chocolate.

cacao bean in a cacao pod

the above health benefits of chocolate when it is in the form of raw cacao beans, butter, powder.  i have bought organic cacao powder and have used it quite a bit in my cooking and added to smoothies.  also try to choose organic when buying.  there are fairtrade cocoa producer groups in belize, bolivia, cameroon, costa rica, dominican republic, ecuador, ghana, haiti, india, côte d'ivoire, nicaragua, panama, peru, sierra leone and sao tome & principe so try to buy your cacao from those countries.

so i hope you add this super food to you diets.  its a guilt free pleasure to start the new year with.

enjoy

NK x