Cacao - the raw form of chocolate

There’s always some sort of research being conducted on chocolate and every time the findings are always positive. This goes to show that chocolate is indeed good for us, but if you’ve noticed, the findings are always in favor of dark chocolate, a chocolate with very little sugar content. If you travel a little backwards and see, the origin of chocolate, that is, the cacao beans are actually much more than a source of chocolate. These are superfoods in themselves and have some amazing health benefits.

Cacao has a fascinating history with plenty of legends surrounding it, but what can be deduced is that until sugar was added, the drink made from cacao was considered highly potent.

Here are some amazing benefits of using cacao:
-Increases blood flow to the brain and enhances brain function
-Has a high concentration of anti oxidants. Anti oxidants as we all know are the holy grail of youth and a disease free life.
-The magnesium in cacao is good for the heart, helps prevent constipation and even eases menstrual cramps.
-Cacao also has iron, which makes it a great weapon to fight against anemia.
-Cacao contains chromium, a trace mineral which works wonders to maintain the balance of blood sugar.
-Zinc, another mineral that cacao contains is known for its essential role in enhancing our immune system.
-Raw cacao contains essential omega 6 fatty acids. An important thing to note is that cooked and processed chocolate contains rancid omega 6 fatty acids or trans fats which are not healthy for you.

Cacao can be found as cacao beans with or without the skin, cacao nibs, cacao butter, powder or paste and ideally it should all be organic. A great idea would be to buy raw cacao products and include them in your usual drinks such as tea or coffee or even coconut water. You can also use cacao nibs in desserts but ideally if you love dark chocolate, you should be able to adjust to the bitter taste of raw cacao which can do so many wonders for your body.