{"id":4168,"date":"2020-03-16T08:14:32","date_gmt":"2020-03-16T08:14:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bartalks.net\/?p=4168"},"modified":"2020-12-28T16:24:48","modified_gmt":"2020-12-28T16:24:48","slug":"cacao-chocolate-and-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bartalks.net\/cacao-chocolate-and-health\/","title":{"rendered":"CACAO, CHOCOLATE AND HEALTH"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cacao is a magical fruit from which we make a range of Cacao and chocolate products. The quality and the taste of the chocolate can vary enormously, and so can the health benefits. This article aims to give you everything you need to understand the fundamentals of choosing quality Cacao and chocolate.<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you are a lover of Cacao but wanted to learn more about the benefits of this healthy food, then read on. This article is an introduction to different varieties and properties of Cacao. We describe the health benefits of Cacao and show how to use it in some recipes.<\/p>\n

The Difference Between Cacao and Cocoa<\/strong><\/h3>\n

To learn more about the difference between Cacao and Cocoa, you can reference this article:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/bartalks.net\/cacao-cocoa-what-difference\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Why People Love Cacao<\/strong><\/h3>\n

You probably have read that dark chocolate is good for your heart and has a positive effect on moods. This is down to the key active ingredient in Cacao – phenylethylamine which improves mood and sustains energy.<\/p>\n

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Photographer: twinsfisch<\/a> | Source: Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The effect is one reason why many people have a love affair with chocolate bars, drinks, and baking with organic cocoa powder. Chocolate addiction might be real, as some studies have found evidence to support this.<\/p>\n

Cacao’s Popularity is Growing<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Its growing popularity now means it’s possible to try a variety of cacao products in coffee shops and restaurants. The awareness of speciality coffee has paved the way for the same growth in speciality cacao. Many of us now also choose single-origin Cacao to use in recipes at home for baking and drinking.<\/p>\n

As a restaurant owner myself, the possibility for pushing a speciality cacao recipe is attractive. An excellent hot chocolate\/Cacao drink is universally loved, and making it a house special sets us apart from others in our market.<\/p>\n

Many of us do not think about Cacao coming from different plant varieties, but it’s worth considering the type, origin and processing of the plants used in the production of the Cacao you buy. When you become aware of the range and number of variables, you are suddenly awake to the possibility of thousands of different flavour combinations.<\/p>\n

The Health Benefits of Cacao<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Besides tasting good, you may have already chosen to use Cacao instead of cocoa powder because of the expected health benefits, but did you know that most cacao and cocoa powders have different nutrient profiles? Cocoa powder – which is more heavily processed than Cacao can still retain some of these health properties, but the process of roasting the bean inevitably reduces the levels of nutrients.<\/p>\n

Using higher quality products certainly helps to some extent. Still, a 2018 study “Effect of traditional and oven roasting on the physicochemical properties of fermented cocoa beans<\/a>” shows that traditional roasting significantly reduced the beneficial active ingredients and nutrients such as phenylethylamine mentioned earlier, as well as antioxidants such the key flavonoid, Epicatechin.<\/p>\n

Epicatechin in Cacao and its Cardiovascular Effects<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In a study performed on mice, dosing epicatechin at 1mg\/kg of body weight resulted in increases in nitric oxide and endurance that persisted even in the absence of exercise. In other words, epicatechin supplementation offers athletes the potential for better muscle development and endurance even when they are not training.<\/p>\n

Cacao beans in their raw form are healthy and contain high levels of antioxidants, minerals, amino acids, and vitamins. But this is only the beginning of the story behind Cacao’s health benefits. The truth is that research has not been conclusive in all areas, however, Cacao has been shown in tests to reduce memory loss and improve hearing, as well as lowering blood sugar, and other ailments. While some results look positive, not all agreed, and others have not found any benefit, so more research is needed.<\/p>\n

Study Shows Drinking Cacao Helped People with Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD)<\/h3>\n

In February 2020, The respected American Heart Association released the findings to a study into people with Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) which can result in crippling cramps and loss of feeling to the calves, legs and feet.<\/p>\n

In the study announced in Science News<\/a>, they gave patients a flavanol-rich cocoa drink 3 times a day over 6 months. Compared to a Placebo group, cocoa drinking patients enjoyed significant improvements in their ability to walk.<\/p>\n

The researches were excited to find an effective treatment in Cocoa, which they point out is easily available and comparatively inexpensive.<\/p>\n

Cacao and Health – the Science and the Facts<\/h3>\n

A study conducted on males of an average age of 40 showed that approximately 170mg of epicatechin per day, dosed at 2mg per kg of body weight, resulted in almost a 50% increase in follistatin and a 16.6% decrease in myostatin, alongside a strength increase of 7%. In a second study, researchers provided participants with 50-200mg of epicatechin a day and were amazed to find that their follistatin levels were 250% higher after just 5 days!<\/p>\n

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Cacao Beans are high in beneficial ingredients<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Does Cacao have Caffeine?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you review cooking sites that use Cacao, you’ll often hear the question ‘Do Cacao nibs have caffeine’? In my cafe, when we serve varieties of hot cacao drinks, I’m often asked ‘does cacao powder have caffeine’. While a small amount of Caffeine can be a good thing, some people are serious about minimising their levels.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, the amount of Caffeine in Cacao is minimal – about 1\/50th the amount of an Americano. 1 oz of cacao nibs might contain 22mg of Caffeine, although the exact amount depends on the Cacao used.<\/p>\n

People can get confused because of the boost they get from a good cacao drink, but this comes from Theobromine (the origin of this word means ‘food of the gods<\/a>‘!), <\/strong>which is an alkaline stimulant similar to Caffeine, but unlike Caffeine does not have the adverse effects. The Greeks also called Ambrosia the ‘food of the gods’, but I think we can assume if you were a god, it might feel good to have some variety in your diet.<\/p>\n

From Where Does Cacao Originate?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

To understand cacao powder, we first look at where it has come from and the varieties available.<\/p>\n

Cacao must grow in a hot and humid environment, so it favours regions within 20 degrees from the equator. It’s a fussy plant, requiring a consistent temperature of 25-27\u00b0C (77-81\u00b0F), and is unable to withstand long wet or dry periods. The amount of rainfall it receives is also important and needs to be a regular 1250 and 2500 mm per year.<\/p>\n

Originally from the Amazon and famously used by the Aztecs in ceremonies, it now is grown predominantly in West Africa, with Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire accounting for roughly two-thirds of global production. South American countries like Peru, Brazil and Venezuela also have many small farms and producers.<\/p>\n

A quality cacao manufacturer, like any maker of good wine or coffee, pays attention to the raw materials which they use. Not surprisingly, greater than 83 -85 % of the world’s chocolate is from a variety of bean called “Forastero”, which is a higher yield and therefore cheaper and easier to grow. West Africa grows Forastero mostly because this was the variety originally imported from Brazil.<\/p>\n

Understanding which cacao powder you buy or which chocolate you eat is part of the joy of learning and developing your taste preferences.<\/p>\n

Once you have experienced the difference between high-quality cacao powder, chocolate, or cacao drink, it’s hard to go back to a lower quality product.<\/p>\n

What Makes Quality Cacao<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Although there are more than 10 varieties of cacao beans, the most popular and frequently discussed are:<\/p>\n