By Debbie Nicholson Revised by Syed K Haque, M.D.
Raw Chocolate: It's Purist Form for Maximum Benefits
The chocolate evolution is gaining speed. Cocoa is making its way through the world of nutrition. Yes, cocoa is chocolate but in its purest form. It is un-roasted and only a few subdued ingredients like sea salt.
Cocoa has been used for thousands of years. Research has recently shown us that dark chocolate has the ability to reduce blood pressure(1), that is provided it has at least 70% and above of cocoa. Now enters cocoa with its wondrous health benefits.
Native Americans have acclaimed the wonders of cocoa through pottery, stone work and stories handed down from one generation to the next.
What makes Cacao a Medical Asset ?
Cocoa has been demonstrated in science that its Cocoa Flavonols(CF) can improve cognitive function. In a double blind study consisting of 30 healthy adults. The adults had consumed either 520mg or 994mg of CF mixed into a beverage. Both groups of the adults had shown improved cognitive function,and mental fatigue reduction was found only in those who had consumed 520mg. Those who consumed 994 mg of CF showed increased visual information processing but produced more errors in one of the cognitive tests(2).This suggests taking flavanols in moderation is much better than taking it in excess.
Cacao also contains potassium, phosphorus, copper, iron, zinc and magnesium, that aids cardiovascular health(3).It helps lower blood pressure and lowers risks of death from heart disease(4).
Raw cacao ranks first for nutritional content in comparison to other chocolates. Raw chocolate keeps almost all of its nutritional value due to low processing temperatures than chocolate which is roasted.
Cacao also contains all those nutrients in high doses for health such as vitamin C and omega 6 fatty acids(3). Studies published in 1996 showed that chocolate contains anandamides that act at the same site in the brain as cannabis(5). But later studies concluded that these constituents are too low in chocolate to produce any pharmacological effect(6).The most likely reason for its role in elevating mood and the chocolate craving phenomenon is that it stimulates the release of endorphins(7).
The Chocolate Information Center has the following facts:
An average size dark chocolate bar contains between ten to sixty milligrams of caffeine. The normal cup of coffee has 175 milligrams.
Dark chocolate weighing forty grams is equal in caffeine to one cup of decaffeinated coffee.
A cup of hot chocolate contains four to five milligrams of caffeine.
Cacao on the ORAC Scale
Cacao is a great source for antioxidants if it is certified organic raw cacao according to the ORAC scale.
The ORAC scale was developed byUSDA researchers. It is a test in which measures the oxygen radical absorption capacity in different foods. It is called the ORAC scale and is one of the most sensitive and reliable methods in measuring antioxidant capacity. The higher the score the higher the level of antioxidants.
According to the scale cacao ranks on the top of the antioxidant list with nearly four times greater the amount than Goji berries.
The top scores in antioxidants on the ORAC sale:
Raw cacao powder 95,000
Raw cacao nibs 62,100
Roasted cocoa powder 26,000
Organic Goji berries 25,300
Acai berries 18,500
Dark Chocolate 13,120 followed by milk chocolate at 6,740
And in fruit: prunes 5,770, raisins 2,830 and blueberries 2,400
Consumption of raw cacao is fine but is limited to forty grams at the highest amount each day. Which basically translates to four or six heaping teaspoons each day.
Cacao can cause over stimulation in the central nervous system along with heart and brain. When this happens you can feel hyperactive followed by feeling drowsy. Which is the side effect of consuming too much cacao. The nibs are not as strong but only four or five are suggested.
Scientific Studies
In February of 2008, Dr. Gabriel Cousens had conducted a study on the health benefits. Dr. Cousens discovered that raw cacao is safe for people with diabetes as it raises blood sugar only slightly and it can heighten insulin sensitivity.To date this one of the only specifically health benefit studies on raw cacao.(citation needed)
The antioxidants and massive amount of magnesium along with other phytochemicals balance blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels, remove arterial plaque and promote general health by reversing heart disease.In healthy humans, flavanol-rich cocoa dilates vessels via nitric oxide(8).This could be one of the explanations of how it provides benefits to the heart.
A Harvard study was conducted on the Kuna Indian tribe located off the coast of Panama. The tribe lived in an area abundant in cacao trees. They consumed five cups of the cacao in a drink form each day. The tribe had shown lower rate occurrences of major diseases and longer life span(9).
Notable Health Benefits
The Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism signifies that the flavanols in the cacao may aide in the prevention of additional neural damage in case of stroke(10). This could suggest that the flavanols in cacao provide such protection. Cacao was used in the study.
A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition had shown that the consumption of cacao improves heart health. Blood pressure becomes decreased and endothelial in overweight adults is also improved(11).
An article in Nutrition and Metabolism had noted that short term feeding trails show that cacao possibly have beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system of lowering blood pressure, anti-inflammation, anti-platelet function, higher DLD, decreased LDL oxidation. The larger part of the study on the flavonoids showed that they could decrease the risk of cardiovascular death.(12).
The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry in an article titled "Cacao has more phenolic phytochemicals and a higher antioxidant capacity than teas or red wine" notes that cacao has found to contain one of the highest antioxidant levels on the planet, surpassing red wine, green tea and other exotic fruit(13).
An article in Journal Arteriosclerosis notes that the antioxidant effects of cacao are helpful in arteriosclerosis(14). The effects were far greater than other well known antioxidant substances of vitamin C, E and probucol.
Free Radical Biology Medicine had published that the cacao may actually lower oxidative stress(15) in strenuous activities which would allow athletes to recover much faster. The flavanols in the cacao when used as a drink for an example, lowers the plasma level of F(2)-isoprostanes.
Experimental Biology Medicine had noted that the procyanidin in the cocoa have shown to stop cataract formation in diabetic lab rats(16).
If you purchase cacao make sure it is of high quality and organic raw cacao. There are places online where you can purchase the organic raw cacao such as Natural Zing, Amazon and Sun Food. Organic health food stores also carry raw cacao.
References:
1.Ried K, Sullivan T, Fakler P, Frank OR, Stocks NP.Does chocolate reduce blood pressure? A meta-analysis.BMC Med. 2010 Jun 28;8:39.
2.Scholey AB, French SJ, Morris PJ, Kennedy DO, Milne AL, Haskell CF.Consumption of cocoa flavanols results in acute improvements in mood and cognitive performance during sustained mental effort.J Psychopharmacol. 2010 Oct;24(10):1505-14.
3.USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Release(2010).http://www.nal.usda .gov.Accessed February 6,2011.
4.Buijsse B, Feskens EJ, Kok FJ, Kromhout D.Cocoa intake, blood pressure, and cardiovascular mortality: the Zutphen Elderly Study.Arch Intern Med. 2006 Feb 27;166(4):411-7.
5. DiTomaso E Beltramo M Piomelli D Brain cannabinoids in chocolate Nature 1996; 382: 677–8.
6. Benton D . Chocolate craving: a biological or psychological phenomenon? In: Knight I, ed. Chocolate and Cocoa: A Review of Health and Nutrition. Oxford: Blackwell Science Limited, 1999.
7.Benton D, Donohoe RT.The effects of nutrients on mood.Public Health Nutr. 1999 Sep;2(3A):403-9.
8. Fisher ND, Hughes M, Gerhard-Herman M, Hollenberg NK.Flavanol-rich cocoa induces nitric-oxide-dependent vasodilation in healthy humans.J Hypertens. 2003 Dec;21(12):2281-6.
9. Harvard Study on Benefits of Cocao.http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2007/02/cocoa-shows-promise-as-next-wonder-drug/ .Updated: February 22, 2007.Accessed February 2,2011.
10. Shah ZA, Li RC, Ahmad AS et al.The flavanol (-)-epicatechin prevents stroke damage through the Nrf2/HO1 pathway.J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2010 Dec;30(12):1951-61.
11.Baba S, Osakabe N, Kato Y et al.Continuous intake of polyphenolic compounds containing cocoa powder reduces LDL oxidative susceptibility and has beneficial effects on plasma HDL-cholesterol concentrations in humans.Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Mar;85(3):709-17.
12. Ding EL, Hutfless SM, Ding X, Girotra S.Chocolate and prevention of cardiovascular disease: a systematic review.Nutr Metab (Lond). 2006 Jan 3;3:2.
13. Ki Won Lee, Young Jun Kim, Hyong Joo Lee, Chang Yong Lee.Cocoa Has More Phenolic Phytochemicals and a Higher Antioxidant Capacity than Teas and Red Wine.J. Agric. Food Chem., 2003, 51 (25), pp 7292–7295.
14.Loke WM, Proudfoot JM, Hodgson JM et al.Specific dietary polyphenols attenuate atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-knockout mice by alleviating inflammation and endothelial dysfunction.Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2010 Apr;30(4):749-57.
15. Lotito SB, Frei B.Consumption of flavonoid-rich foods and increased plasma antioxidant capacity in humans: cause, consequence, or epiphenomenon?Free Radic Biol Med. 2006 Dec 15;41(12):1727-46.
16. Osakabe N, Yamagishi M, Natsume M, Yasuda A, Osawa T.Ingestion of proanthocyanidins derived from cacao inhibits diabetes-induced cataract formation in rats.Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2004 Jan;229(1):33-9.
Last Revised : Feb 6, 2011
The copyright of the health article, "Raw Cacao : A Super Nutrition," in "Interesting Health Articles" is owned by Debbie Nicholson. Permission to republish this article in print or online must be granted by the author.
If you have time and are interested then check out Your Ad Here .
If you find this interesting , then please consider subscribing to interesting health articles and facts via my feed RSS. You can also subscribe by Email and have new health articles sent directly to your inbox.
Raw Chocolate: It's Purist Form for Maximum Benefits
The chocolate evolution is gaining speed. Cocoa is making its way through the world of nutrition. Yes, cocoa is chocolate but in its purest form. It is un-roasted and only a few subdued ingredients like sea salt.
Cocoa has been used for thousands of years. Research has recently shown us that dark chocolate has the ability to reduce blood pressure(1), that is provided it has at least 70% and above of cocoa. Now enters cocoa with its wondrous health benefits.
Native Americans have acclaimed the wonders of cocoa through pottery, stone work and stories handed down from one generation to the next.
What makes Cacao a Medical Asset ?
Cocoa has been demonstrated in science that its Cocoa Flavonols(CF) can improve cognitive function. In a double blind study consisting of 30 healthy adults. The adults had consumed either 520mg or 994mg of CF mixed into a beverage. Both groups of the adults had shown improved cognitive function,and mental fatigue reduction was found only in those who had consumed 520mg. Those who consumed 994 mg of CF showed increased visual information processing but produced more errors in one of the cognitive tests(2).This suggests taking flavanols in moderation is much better than taking it in excess.
Cacao also contains potassium, phosphorus, copper, iron, zinc and magnesium, that aids cardiovascular health(3).It helps lower blood pressure and lowers risks of death from heart disease(4).
Raw cacao ranks first for nutritional content in comparison to other chocolates. Raw chocolate keeps almost all of its nutritional value due to low processing temperatures than chocolate which is roasted.
Cacao also contains all those nutrients in high doses for health such as vitamin C and omega 6 fatty acids(3). Studies published in 1996 showed that chocolate contains anandamides that act at the same site in the brain as cannabis(5). But later studies concluded that these constituents are too low in chocolate to produce any pharmacological effect(6).The most likely reason for its role in elevating mood and the chocolate craving phenomenon is that it stimulates the release of endorphins(7).
The Chocolate Information Center has the following facts:
An average size dark chocolate bar contains between ten to sixty milligrams of caffeine. The normal cup of coffee has 175 milligrams.
Dark chocolate weighing forty grams is equal in caffeine to one cup of decaffeinated coffee.
A cup of hot chocolate contains four to five milligrams of caffeine.
Cacao on the ORAC Scale
Cacao is a great source for antioxidants if it is certified organic raw cacao according to the ORAC scale.
The ORAC scale was developed by
According to the scale cacao ranks on the top of the antioxidant list with nearly four times greater the amount than Goji berries.
The top scores in antioxidants on the ORAC sale:
Raw cacao powder 95,000
Raw cacao nibs 62,100
Roasted cocoa powder 26,000
Organic Goji berries 25,300
Acai berries 18,500
Dark Chocolate 13,120 followed by milk chocolate at 6,740
And in fruit: prunes 5,770, raisins 2,830 and blueberries 2,400
Consumption of raw cacao is fine but is limited to forty grams at the highest amount each day. Which basically translates to four or six heaping teaspoons each day.
Cacao can cause over stimulation in the central nervous system along with heart and brain. When this happens you can feel hyperactive followed by feeling drowsy. Which is the side effect of consuming too much cacao. The nibs are not as strong but only four or five are suggested.
Scientific Studies
In February of 2008, Dr. Gabriel Cousens had conducted a study on the health benefits. Dr. Cousens discovered that raw cacao is safe for people with diabetes as it raises blood sugar only slightly and it can heighten insulin sensitivity.To date this one of the only specifically health benefit studies on raw cacao.(citation needed)
The antioxidants and massive amount of magnesium along with other phytochemicals balance blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels, remove arterial plaque and promote general health by reversing heart disease.In healthy humans, flavanol-rich cocoa dilates vessels via nitric oxide(8).This could be one of the explanations of how it provides benefits to the heart.
A Harvard study was conducted on the Kuna Indian tribe located off the coast of Panama. The tribe lived in an area abundant in cacao trees. They consumed five cups of the cacao in a drink form each day. The tribe had shown lower rate occurrences of major diseases and longer life span(9).
Notable Health Benefits
The Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism signifies that the flavanols in the cacao may aide in the prevention of additional neural damage in case of stroke(10). This could suggest that the flavanols in cacao provide such protection. Cacao was used in the study.
A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition had shown that the consumption of cacao improves heart health. Blood pressure becomes decreased and endothelial in overweight adults is also improved(11).
An article in Nutrition and Metabolism had noted that short term feeding trails show that cacao possibly have beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system of lowering blood pressure, anti-inflammation, anti-platelet function, higher DLD, decreased LDL oxidation. The larger part of the study on the flavonoids showed that they could decrease the risk of cardiovascular death.(12).
The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry in an article titled "Cacao has more phenolic phytochemicals and a higher antioxidant capacity than teas or red wine" notes that cacao has found to contain one of the highest antioxidant levels on the planet, surpassing red wine, green tea and other exotic fruit(13).
An article in Journal Arteriosclerosis notes that the antioxidant effects of cacao are helpful in arteriosclerosis(14). The effects were far greater than other well known antioxidant substances of vitamin C, E and probucol.
Free Radical Biology Medicine had published that the cacao may actually lower oxidative stress(15) in strenuous activities which would allow athletes to recover much faster. The flavanols in the cacao when used as a drink for an example, lowers the plasma level of F(2)-isoprostanes.
Experimental Biology Medicine had noted that the procyanidin in the cocoa have shown to stop cataract formation in diabetic lab rats(16).
If you purchase cacao make sure it is of high quality and organic raw cacao. There are places online where you can purchase the organic raw cacao such as Natural Zing, Amazon and Sun Food. Organic health food stores also carry raw cacao.
References:
1.Ried K, Sullivan T, Fakler P, Frank OR, Stocks NP.Does chocolate reduce blood pressure? A meta-analysis.BMC Med. 2010 Jun 28;8:39.
2.Scholey AB, French SJ, Morris PJ, Kennedy DO, Milne AL, Haskell CF.Consumption of cocoa flavanols results in acute improvements in mood and cognitive performance during sustained mental effort.J Psychopharmacol. 2010 Oct;24(10):1505-14.
3.
4.Buijsse B, Feskens EJ, Kok FJ, Kromhout D.Cocoa intake, blood pressure, and cardiovascular mortality: the Zutphen Elderly Study.Arch Intern Med. 2006 Feb 27;166(4):411-7.
5. DiTomaso E Beltramo M Piomelli D Brain cannabinoids in chocolate Nature 1996; 382: 677–8.
6. Benton D . Chocolate craving: a biological or psychological phenomenon? In: Knight I, ed. Chocolate and Cocoa: A Review of Health and Nutrition. Oxford: Blackwell Science Limited, 1999.
7.Benton D, Donohoe RT.The effects of nutrients on mood.Public Health Nutr. 1999 Sep;2(3A):403-9.
8. Fisher ND, Hughes M, Gerhard-Herman M, Hollenberg NK.Flavanol-rich cocoa induces nitric-oxide-dependent vasodilation in healthy humans.J Hypertens. 2003 Dec;21(12):2281-6.
9. Harvard Study on Benefits of Cocao.http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2007/02/cocoa-shows-promise-as-next-wonder-drug/ .Updated: February 22, 2007.Accessed February 2,2011.
10. Shah ZA, Li RC, Ahmad AS et al.The flavanol (-)-epicatechin prevents stroke damage through the Nrf2/HO1 pathway.J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2010 Dec;30(12):1951-61.
11.Baba S, Osakabe N, Kato Y et al.Continuous intake of polyphenolic compounds containing cocoa powder reduces LDL oxidative susceptibility and has beneficial effects on plasma HDL-cholesterol concentrations in humans.Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Mar;85(3):709-17.
12. Ding EL, Hutfless SM, Ding X, Girotra S.Chocolate and prevention of cardiovascular disease: a systematic review.Nutr Metab (Lond). 2006 Jan 3;3:2.
13. Ki Won Lee, Young Jun Kim, Hyong Joo Lee, Chang Yong Lee.Cocoa Has More Phenolic Phytochemicals and a Higher Antioxidant Capacity than Teas and Red Wine.J. Agric. Food Chem., 2003, 51 (25), pp 7292–7295.
14.Loke WM, Proudfoot JM, Hodgson JM et al.Specific dietary polyphenols attenuate atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-knockout mice by alleviating inflammation and endothelial dysfunction.Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2010 Apr;30(4):749-57.
15. Lotito SB, Frei B.Consumption of flavonoid-rich foods and increased plasma antioxidant capacity in humans: cause, consequence, or epiphenomenon?Free Radic Biol Med. 2006 Dec 15;41(12):1727-46.
16. Osakabe N, Yamagishi M, Natsume M, Yasuda A, Osawa T.Ingestion of proanthocyanidins derived from cacao inhibits diabetes-induced cataract formation in rats.Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2004 Jan;229(1):33-9.
Last Revised : Feb 6, 2011
The copyright of the health article, "Raw Cacao : A Super Nutrition," in "Interesting Health Articles" is owned by Debbie Nicholson. Permission to republish this article in print or online must be granted by the author.
If you have time and are interested then check out Your Ad Here .
If you find this interesting , then please consider subscribing to interesting health articles and facts via my feed RSS. You can also subscribe by Email and have new health articles sent directly to your inbox.
4 comments:
I try to eat some dark chocolate everyday. I love how it tastes and I know it has lots of medical value. This is a good site with lots of valuable information.
http://www.factsabouthealth.net
Thanks for the post. I would like just to add that the chocolate is very useful for the organism but not in much amounts. Everyday a piece of chocolate is a good alternative to other sweet foods like cake for example. Chocolate improves disposition and helps to concentrate.
nice post..i didnt knew that..i love eating chocolate...dint knew they are benefiting my health
thanx for the info
regards
Exercise is a key way to do this. When you exercise regularly, you build stronger muscles.. Muscles cells burn more calories than fat cells throughout the day, even while you are resting. This helps boost your metabolism.
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