Cocoa, also known as cacao, is the bean of the cocoa tree, native to South America. Cocoa consumption dates back to the ancient Aztecs, who consumed a beverage made from roasted cocoa beans mixed with vanilla and other spices and also traded the beans as currency. In the 1500s cocoa was introduced to Europe, but partly due to its high cost, was reserved for the wealthy. Nowadays, chocolate is widely consumed and treasured for its purported mood-elevating effects. However, cocoa in its raw form contains considerable amounts of health-promoting nutrients, some of which are found only in the cocoa bean.
Raw cocoa, with 10,000 milligrams of flavanol antioxidants per bean, may be one of the most antioxidant-rich foods available, according to raw food expert Matthew Rogers, co-author of "Sweet Gratitude: A New World of Raw Desserts." That gives it 20 times more antioxidants than red wine and 30 times more than green tea. By contrast, roasted cocoa beans can lose up to 80 percent of their antioxidant content. Antioxidants help prevent oxidation of cholesterol, which can lead to arterial plaque formation.
Raw cocoa contains more magnesium than any other plant. This mineral, which is deficient in much of the U.S. population, helps increase flexibility and muscle relaxation, is good for your heart and makes your bones strong. Magnesium also assists with detoxification and alkalizes your body.
Chromium in raw cocoa helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Raw cocoa contains 10 times as much chromium as whole wheat. To derive the most health benefits, consume raw cocoa in the form of dark chocolate, which contains less sugar and milk and a greater nutrient density than milk chocolate.
Chocolate is widely regarded as good mood food and contains several chemicals that are known to alter brain function. Raw cocoa is one of the few plants that contains theobromine, a relative of caffeine, though with a weaker stimulant effect. Phenylethylamine in cocoa is the same as a molecule that your brain releases when you are happy or excited. Anandamide, a brain chemical that positively influences your mood, memory and appetite and decreases your perception of pain, is also found in raw cocoa. Raw cocoa contains considerable amounts of the amino acid tryptophan, which your body converts to the calming neurotransmitter serotonin.
A study published in the June 2011 issue of the "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry" found that cocoa extract may help in the management of ulcerative colitis. In the laboratory animal study, polyphenol-enriched cocoa extract reduced inflammation and cell damage. Further studies are needed to confirm these preliminary results.
- Raw-Riffic Food's 101 Super-Charged Juices, Shakes & Smoothies: Deborah C. Marsh
- Sweet Gratitude: A New World of Raw Desserts: Matthew Rogers and Tiziana Alipo Tamborra
- Health Bliss: 50 Revitalizing NatureFoods and Lifestyles Choices to Promote Vibrant Health: Susan Smith Jones
- University of the West Indies Cocoa Research Unit: Health Benefits of Cocoa and Dark Chocolate
- Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry: Inhibition of Ulcerative Colitis in Mice After Oral Administration of a Polyphenol-enriched Cocoa Extract is Mediated by the Inhibition of Stat1 and Stat3 Phosphorylation in Colon Cells
- Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry: Impact of Fermentation, Drying, Roasting, and Dutch Processing on Epicatechin and Catechin Content of Cacao Beans and Cocoa Ingredients
- Chocolate Science and Technology: Emmanuel Ohene Afoakwa
- cacao image by Tatyana Gladskih from Fotolia.com