First let’s get the difference between cacao and cocoa out of the way (as best as we can). It can be a bit murky as the definition of what is cacao and what is cocoa overlap and interchange depending on who you talk to. Some products like to use the term cacao because it has a healthier connotation. Both cacao and cocoa powder are made from the ground cacao bean which has the fat pressed out. We will just call it cocoa powder.
Cocoa has the highest amount of flavanols per weight than any other known food and has a lot of health benefits including:
· Reducing inflammation
· Improving blood flow
· Lowering blood pressure
· Preventing blood clots
· Lowering your risk of diabetes by improving how your body metabolizes glucose.
· Lowering your risk of heart disease and stroke by raising your production of nitric oxide and lower LDL.
· Improving mood because it contains tryptophan which your body converts to serotonin.
· Improving brain function by increasing blood flow, which may decrease your risk of dementia.
That is an impressive list.
How to get it and how much? The best way is from a can of unsweetened cocoa (or cacao) powder – a tablespoon a day.
Please don’t eat a tablespoon out of the can. I can’t imagine. I put cocoa powder in my chia seed pudding. It would be good in a smoothy. I tried rolling some strawberries and frozen cherries in cocoa powder for a snack while I was writing this—it wasn’t too bad. You can have some dark chocolate – the darker the better. If you like 65% dark, move to 70% dark, then higher and higher.
A super food that is super good. Nice.
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