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Cacao
It’s pretty safe to say that cacao is one superfood nearly everyone loves. Not only does it taste great, but it’s also packed full of health benefits! (that’s what we like to call a win-win!). Originating in the tropical rainforests of the Americas, ancient Mayan and Aztec civilisations considered cacao a “food of the gods”. The scientific name of cacao trees is Theobroma Cacao, with “theo” translating to god and “broma” meaning food. It’s definitely a name we can 100% agree with!
It seems that cacao loves us back too, with a wide range of potential health benefits. Cacao has been used to help reduce fatigue, stimulate the nervous system, support heart health and lots more.
Health Benefits of Cacao
Theobromine is one of the key natural ingredients found in the cacao plant which is great for your health. It works as a mild stimulant and helps to keep your mind alert, without the potential negative effects of caffeine, while also helping to lower your blood pressure.
Cacao is also rich in polyphenols, antioxidant compounds, as well as lots of beneficial minerals like magnesium, iron and copper which are essential for optimum health.
Let’s explore the full benefits, remembering too that it’s important to note these are benefits of cacao – not your average sugar-laden chocolate bar!
Rich in Antioxidants
The polyphenols in Cacao are antioxidants which can help improve our health by fighting harmful free radicals and reducing their damage to the body. Cacao contains more polyphenols than both green and black tea.
Boosts Energy and Mental Cognition
Catechin and Epicatechin are two flavonoids found in Cacao which play a role in improving cognitive health and function, by assisting in the regeneration of brain cells as well as helping to prevent damage caused by conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
Some studies have shown that the compounds found in cacao have helped to increase the blood flow in the brain reducing mental fatigue and reducing symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome.
Heart Health
The flavonoids contained in Cacao can help with heart health by improving blood vessel function, preventing blockages, lowering blood pressure and decreasing blood clotting.
Studies have shown that Cacao may help to lower cholesterol by decreasing LDL (bad) cholesterol and increasing HDL (good) cholesterol.
There have been numerous studies which have shown the beneficial effects of Cacao in reducing the risk of heart disease and associated conditions, but these results are not from average chocolate bars, which can have negative effects due to their high sugar and fat content.
May Improve Lung Function
Theobromine and theophylline, both found in Cacao, have been shown to widen airways as well as assisting in reducing coughing.
References
- Cocoa polyphenols and their potential benefits for human health
- Cocoa has more phenolic phytochemicals and a higher antioxidant capacity than teas and red wine
- Short-term supplementation with flavanol-rich cocoa improves lipid profile, antioxidant status and positively influences the AA/EPA ratio in healthy subjects
- Cocoa ingestion protects plasma lipids in healthy males against ex vivo oxidative conditions: A randomized clinical trial
- Cocoa and chocolate flavonoids: implications for cardiovascular health
- Cocoa polyphenols and their potential benefits for human health
- Potential implications of dose and diet for the effects of cocoa flavanols on cardiometabolic function
- Chocolate Consumption and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease, Stroke, and Diabetes: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies
- Chocolate Consumption and Risk of Heart Failure: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies
- Chocolate consumption and risk of myocardial infarction: a prospective study and meta-analysis
- Cocoa, blood pressure, and cardiovascular health
- Short-term administration of dark chocolate is followed by a significant increase in insulin sensitivity and a decrease in blood pressure in healthy persons
- Dietary flavonoids added to pharmacological antihypertensive therapy are effective in improving blood pressure
- Effect of cocoa products on blood pressure: systematic review and meta-analysis
- Does chocolate reduce blood pressure? A meta-analysis
- Regular consumption of cocoa powder with milk increases HDL cholesterol and reduces oxidized LDL levels in subjects at high-risk of cardiovascular disease
- Continuous intake of polyphenolic compounds containing cocoa powder reduces LDL oxidative susceptibility and has beneficial effects on plasma HDL-cholesterol concentrations in humans
- High cocoa polyphenol rich chocolate may reduce the burden of the symptoms in chronic fatigue syndrome
- Consumption of cocoa flavanols results in acute improvements in mood and cognitive performance during sustained mental effort
- Enhancing Human Cognition with Cocoa Flavonoids
- Flavonoids and brain health: multiple effects underpinned by common mechanisms
- The bronchodilator effect and pharmacokinetics of theobromine in young patients with asthma
