Cacao Vs Cocoa
What is cacao?
Cacao is any food products made from the cacao beans including the seeds or nuts from the cacao tree. You may find them as Cacao nibs, cacao butter, cacao mass or paste and most commonly Cacao powder.
Cacao powder is made by cold-pressing un roasted cocoa beans and is therefore its raw form. The process keeps the living enzymes in the cocoa and removes the fat.
Cocoa powder: Although it may look the same it is not. It is raw cacao that has been roasted at high temperatures. By doing this it changes the molecular structure, reducing enzyme content and lowering nutritional value.
Health benefits of raw Cacao
Cacao may Lower Insulin resistance and protect your nervous system as Resveratrol, (potent antioxidant ) helps protect the nervous system and shield nerve cells from damage and cut risk of stroke and lowers blood pressure.
Guards against toxins: As a potent antioxidant, cacao can repair the damage caused by free radicals and may reduce the risk of certain cancers. Cacao contains more antioxidants per 100g than acai, goji berries and blueberries. May also boost your mood: Cacao may increase levels of neurotransmitters promoting well-being. The same brain chemical that is released when we experience deep feelings of love – phenylethylamine – is found Cacao.
Contains the Minerals- Magnesium, iron, potassium, calcium, zinc, copper and manganese.
Don’t take with Milk!
Research shows that dairy inhibits the absorption of antioxidants from raw cacao. Therefore if making a shake it is best to use coconut or almond milk so that you may get all the antioxidant benefits.
