The Health Benefits of Raw Chocolate

The following article on raw chocolate is by world renowned raw food expert, author and lecturer David Wolfe. To learn more about chocolate, we recommend you read his book Naked Chocolate: The Astonishing Truth About the World’s Greatest FoodNaked Chocolate: The Astonishing Truth About the World’s Greatest Food.

ca·cao. Pronounced [ka-kow]. Rhymes with “cow.”

Chocolate and Cacao Beans

A total of 1% of the American diet consists of chocolate.  In fact, chocolate is one of America’s most well-loved foods. Yet, uniquely, out of millions of Americans very, very few have ever had the raw food that all chocolate comes from – cacao beans!

All chocolate comes from cacao beans – the seeds of the cacao fruit – which grows on a jungle tree. Botanically, cacao is truly a nut. They may be referred to as cacao beans, cacao seeds, cacao nuts, chocolate seeds, chocolate beans, or cacao nibs – all essentially mean the same thing. For simplicity, we usually use the term “cacao beans.”

Cacao beans taste like dark chocolate, because they are dark chocolate!

In 1753 Carl von Linnaeus, the 18th-century Swedish scientist who developed the plant and animal Latin categorization system, thought that chocolate was so important that he named the genus and species of the chocolate tree himself. He named this tree Theobroma cacao which literally means: cacao, the food of the gods. Just what the indigenous native Central Americans called it.

Edible Money

In ancient Central American cultures, raw cacao beans were actually used as money. Imagine an edible money! When the Spanish came, they called cacao black gold (oro negro) or seeds of gold (pepe de oro).

Montezuma (Motecuhzoma Xocoyotzin), the emperor of the great city of Tenochtitlan (now Mexico city) and of the Aztec empire, had his treasure vaults filled with cacao beans, not gold! The chronicler Francisco Cervantes de Salazar mentions that the Emperor’s cacao warehouse held more than 40,000 loads, which would mean 960,000,000 beans!

The chronicler Motolinia tells us that in his day (shortly after Cortes’ conquest of Tenochtitlan), the daily wage of a porter in central Mexico was 100 beans, which puts into perspective the following partial list of commodity prices in Tlaxcala, from a Nahuatl document circa 1545:

• One good turkey hen is worth 100 full cacao beans, or 120 shrunken beans.
• A turkey is worth 200 cacao beans.
• A hare [jackrabbit] or forest rabbit is worth 100 cacao beans each.
• A small rabbit is worth 30 cacao beans.
• One turkey egg is worth 3 cacao beans.
• An avocado newly picked is worth 3 cacao beans; when an avocado is fully ripe it will be equivalent to one cacao bean.
• One large tomato will be equivalent to a cacao bean.
• A large sapote fruit, or two small ones, is equivalent to a cacao bean.
• A large axolotl [larval salamander, an Aztec delicacy] is worth 4 cacao beans, a small one is worth 2 or 3 cacao beans.
• A tamale is exchanged for a cacao bean.
• A fish wrapped in maize husks is worth 3 cacao beans.

Cacao As A Superfood

Cacao beans contain over 300 chemically identifiable compounds making it one of the most complex food substances on Earth!

Substances in chocolate that have been discussed in the scientific literature as pharmacologically significant, include: anandamide (bliss chemical), arginine (Sunfood Nutrition’s Viagra), dopamine (neurotransmitter), epicatechins (antioxidants), histamine, magnesium, serotonin (anti-stress neurotransmitter), tryptophan (anti-depressant amino acid), phenylethylamine (PEA), polyphenols (antioxidants), tyramine, and salsolinol.

Magnesium

Dr. Bernard Jensen’s research on the heart indicates that this organ requires two minerals more than any other, magnesium and potassium. Magnesium is concentrated eighteen times greater in the heart muscle than in the bloodstream. Magnesium is the primarily mineral missing when heart problems occur. Magnesium increases the overall vigor of the heart muscle. This mineral also decreases blood coagulation thus lowering blood pressure and helping the heart pump more effectively. Cacao, of course, is a fantastic food source of heart-supporting magnesium.

Antioxidants

According to research cited in The New York Times, fresh cacao beans are super-rich in antioxidant flavonols. Cacao beans contain 10,000 milligrams (10 grams) per 100 grams of flavonol antioxidants. This is a whopping 10% antioxidant concentration level! This makes cacao one of the richest sources of antioxidants of any food. Compare the cacao bean to processed cocoa powder (defatted, roasted cacao treated with potassium carbonate) and chocolates which range in flavonol content from the more common concentration of 500 milligrams per 100 grams in normal chocolate bars to 5,000 milligrams in Mars Corporation’s special Cocoapro cocoa powder.

Research has demonstrated that the antioxidants in cacao are highly stable and easily available to human metabolism.

Cornell University food scientists found that cocoa powder has nearly twice the antioxidants of red wine and up to three times what is found in green tea. Their findings were published in an article entitled “Cocoa Has More Phenolic Phytochemicals and a Higher Antioxidant Capacity than Teas and Red Wine,” found in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, a peer-reviewed publication.

Scientists have known that cocoa contains significant antioxidants, but no one knew just how rich they were compared with those in red wine and green tea.

The Cornell researchers, led by Chang Y. Lee, chairman of the Department of Food Science and Technology at Cornell University’s New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, N.Y., say the reason that cocoa leads the other drinks is its high content of antioxidant compounds called phenolic phytochemicals, or flavonoids. They discovered 611 milligrams of the phenolic compound gallic acid equivalents (GAE) and 564 milligrams of the flavonoid epicatechin equivalents (ECE) in a single serving of cocoa. Examining a glass of red wine, the researchers found 340 milligrams of GAE and 163 milligrams of ECE. In a cup of green tea, they found 165 milligrams of GAE and 47 milligrams of ECE.

Antioxidant ORAC levels per 100 grams:

• dark chocolate – 13,120
• milk chocolate – 6,740
• prunes – 5,770
• raisins – 2,830
• blueberries – 2,400
• blackberries – 2036
• kale – 1,770
• strawberries – 1540
• spinach – 1260
• raspberries – 1220
• brussel sprouts – 980
• plums – 949
• alfalfa sprouts – 930
• broccoli – 890

The ORAC test examines the antioxidant levels of various foods. The higher the ORAC score, the higher the level of antioxidants present in the food. Source: US Department of Agriculture / Journal of the American Chemical Society

Dairy Products and Antioxidants

Cacao and dark chocolate boost antioxidants; however, the addition of dairy products/milk cancels out the effects of antioxidants. Studies indicate that dairy products specifically block the absorption of all the great antioxidants in chocolate!
Allergies

A recent study showed that only one out of 500 people who thought they were allergic to chocolate actually tested positive. The idea that chocolate is a common allergen has been around for a long time, but recent evidence suggests allergy to chocolate is quite rare. It is more often the case that the person is in fact allergic to milk and dairy products.

Acne

Research by the U.S. Naval Academy concluded that there is no evidence that chocolate causes or exacerbates acne. It is likely that the sugar added to chocolate exacerbates acne.

What we are finding is that chocolate itself is a health food, especially in its raw form as cacao beans. It is the substances added to chocolate that cause the problems: dairy products/milk and sugar!

Methylxanthines: Theobromine and Caffeine

Cacao can increases one’s energy substantially. Cacao does contain the stimulating methylxanthines: theobromine and a small amount of caffeine.

Theobromine

Theobromine makes up between 1-2% of the cacao bean. Theobromine stimulates the central nervous system, relaxes smooth muscles, and dilates blood vessels. Theobromine has about 1/4 of the stimulating power of its sister molecule caffeine.

Theobromine is also a mild diuretic (increases urination) and has been used as a medical drug in cases where a heart attack had resulted in an accumulation of body fluid.

Theobromine is a cardiac stimulant. This is a reason why it has been used to treat high blood pressure. One of the reasons why dogs should not eat cacao or chocolate is because this food can cause cardiac arrest. Dogs simply lack the enzymes necessary to metabolize quantities of theobromine in excess of 100-150 mg per kilogram of the dog’s body weight.

Caffeine

Estimates of how much caffeine is present in cacao differ, depending on the source. However, it generally agreed that chocolate is a poor source of caffeine.

Consider the following estimates we came across in our research:

• A 1.4 ounce-piece of chocolate (40 grams) contains the same amount of caffeine as one cup of decaffeinated coffee.
• A cup of hot chocolate usually contains about 4 or 5 milligrams of caffeine, which is about 1/20 that of a cup of regular coffee.
• According to the Chocolate Information Center, a 50-gram piece of dark chocolate – about the size of your average chocolate bar – will yield between 10 and 60 milligrams of caffeine, while an average 5-ounce cup of coffee can yield up to 175 milligrams.
• 800 grams of milk chocolate (that’s a lot of chocolate!) contains the equivalent amount of caffeine present in a cup of coffee.
• A cup of coffee may contain 50 to 175 milligrams of caffeine, a cup of tea contains 25 to 100 milligrams, and a cup of cocoa beverage contains 25 milligrams to none.

Interesting research on caffeine in the field of homeopathy (a branch of medical science) indicates caffeine’s stimulating effect when cooked, but not when eaten raw. One experiment conducted with a decoction of roasted ground cacao beans in boiling water produced an excitement of the nervous system similar to that caused by black coffee and an excited state of circulation, demonstrated by an accelerated pulse. Notably, when the same decoction was made with raw, unroasted cacao beans neither effect was noticeable.

Phenylethylamine (PEA)

PEA is a chemical in cacao that increases the activity of neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) in parts of the brain that control our ability to pay attention and stay alert. Elevated PEA levels occur when we are captivated by a good book, movie, or project; this happens specifically during those moments when we are so focused that we lose all track of time, food, and the outside world.

PEA is noticeably abundant in the brains of happy people.

Chocolate has been found to contain up to 2.2% phenylethylamine (PEA).

Anandamide (The Bliss Chemical)

A neurotransmitter called anandamide (n-arachidonoylethanolamine), has been isolated in cacao in quantities significant enough to affect the brain. Anandamide is a cannabinoid naturally found in the human brain. Anandamide is a lipid (fat) known as “the bliss chemical” because it is released while we are feeling great.
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAO Inhibitors)

These rare MAO inhibitors actually produce favorable results when consumed by allowing more serotonin and other neurotransmitters such as anandamide, dopamine, etc. to circulate in the brain. According to Dr. Gabriel Cousens, MAO inhibitors facilitate youthening and rejuvenation.

MAO inhibitors make one younger as they allow more neurotransmitters to remain in the bloodstream. A primary phenomenon that separates children from adults is the level of neurotransmitters in the blood and bodies of children. Generally, as one remains on the planet longer and longer, the level of neurotransmitters decreases. This creates physical rigidity, less creativity, less joy, and more aging! Cacao, being an MAO inhibitor, keeps plenty of neurotransmitters in circulation and thus stops this phenomenon from ever occurring.

Aphrodisiac

As with all languages, the peoples of pre-Columbian Central America often spoke in metaphors composed of words or phrases which, when uttered in sequence, had a hidden meaning. One of these metaphors was yollotl, eztli, “heart, blood,” which referred to cacao.

Chocolate truly is food for the heart – it is the heart’s “blood,” due to its magnesium, antioxidants, love chemicals and esoteric properties. Chocolate, as we know it, is known for its sensual love vibration. Chocolate is the symbol of sensuality, pleasure, and sexuality. Some writers have claimed that 50% of women prefer chocolate to sex! (imagine if they were given real chocolate: cacao beans!)

We have often heard that “chocolate opens the heart” – which is actually true. Chocolate is the gift to all lovers. Chocolates are always given as love offerings. A box of chocolates is one of the most common gifts for Valentine’s Day.

Cacao, because it is unadulterated, has an even stronger love energy. In ancient Aztec wedding ceremonies, the bride and groom would exchange 5 cacao beans with each other.

Sunfood Nutrition’s Prozac (Anti-Depressant Properties of Cacao)

As we have noted, cacao is one of Sunfood Nutrition’s richest sources of magnesium, which is a heart as well as brain mineral. Cacao is also a great source of serotonin, dopamine, and phenylethylamine, three well-studied neurotransmitters, which help alleviate depression and are associated with feelings of well being. Cacao contains monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAO Inhibitors) that improve our mood because they allow serotonin and dopamine to remain in the bloodstream longer without being broken down. Cacao contains anandamide which delivers blissful feelings. Cacao also contains B vitamins, which are associated with brain health. All this makes cacao a natural prozac!

Research by British psychologist, Dr. David Benton at the University of Wales in Swansea, found chocolate to be an excellent mood elevator. When he played sad music to a group of students, their moods sank. He then offered them the choice of milk chocolate or carob (a natural chocolate substitute that is similar in taste). Without their knowing which product they were eating, the participants found that the chocolate raised their moods, while the carob did nothing. Moreover, as their moods fell, their cravings for chocolate increased.

Raw Chocolate

The truth about the health-benefits of chocolate is finally reaching our ears. However, the whole truth should be told. Chocolate is healthy if it is dark with no added dairy products/milk or refined sugar. Even better are raw cacao beans, the “food of the gods” which possess all the magical properties of chocolate without any adulteration or processing! Add real chocolate chips (crushed cacao beans
) to your favorite dessert and watch all heaven break loose! Experiment with, eat, and enjoy real organic cacao beans and you will know why the Mayans and Aztecs used cacao as money! Click here to buy raw chocolate powder, nibs and beans.

High Quality Cacao Beans versus Low Quality

This article is by David Wolfe, the founder and CEO of Sunfood Nutrition Inc.  To learn more about Sunfood and David Wolfe you can click here.

About Raw Cacao Beans and Raw Cacao Nibs

Dear Educated Consumer:

I have held my tongue about this for some time, as I often assume that most people will educate themselves on the subject and select a superior grade product.

I have been quite shocked by the poor quality cacao beans and cacao nibs that have been pouring into the market lately hoping to take advantage of the explosion in cacao consciousness due to the release of the book Naked Chocolate: The Astonishing Truth About the World’s Greatest Food I co-authored with Shazzie from the UK and the current media tours Shazzie and I have been conducting on the subject of “chocolate“.

I feel that I must say something for two reasons:

1. A Public Health Hazard: To alert people to a public health hazard due to microbe contamination prevalent in much of the “raw” cacao coming onto the market recently that is not supplied by Sunfood Nutrition (www.sunfood.com).
2. Quality: To give people an understanding of what I could have done in this marketplace years ago and that is to undercut anyone’s price on cacao with an inferior product (the same inferior quality that is now being sold by many websites and stores with few understanding that you get what you pay for).

Public Health Hazard:

We have found by laboratory testing that other “raw” cacao beans on the market are not only of cheap forastero cacao varieties, they also are contaminated with several types of dangerous bacteria (remember cacao is a tropical crop where microbe contamination is more difficult to control).  Here are the exact results returned to us by the lab after we sent them a sample of some of the poor quality “forastero” variety cacao beans being sold on the internet.

Product Analysis of Other “Raw” Cacao Beans On The Market

Analysis Result Unit

E. Coli / Coliform (AOAC 991.14) *TNTC Cfu / g
Salmonella (AOAC 989.13) - ve + / -
Stephylococcus Aureus (AOAC 2000.15) *TNTC Cfu / g
Yeast and Mold (AOAC 897.02) *TNTC Cfu / g
Total Aerobic (AOAC 990.12) *TNTC Cfu / g

TNTC = Too Numerous To Count
Cfu/g = colony-forming units per gram
-ve = verified existence

A “-ve” rating for Salmonella on any food would get it pulled from any store immediately. And a “-ve” is a low rating compared to a TNTC rating! This lab result demonstrates an incredibly dangerous level of microbe contamination.

A “-ve” rating for Salmonella on any food would get it pulled from any store immediately. And a “-ve” is a low rating compared to a TNTC rating! This lab result demonstrates an incredibly dangerous level of microbe contamination.

Be careful with dangerous, cheap imitation products. We have done the research and the testing in order to provide you the highest quality and safest product possible.

Sunfood Nutrition “cacao beans” and “nibs” are quality controlled at every step until they reach your hands.  Sunfood Nutrition delivers the highest quality, best tasting, microbe-free cacao beans/nibs in the world.  The pictures below demonstrate the dramatic difference in quality of cacao on the open market.  Sunfood Nutrition cacao beans are pictured below on the left.  A competitor cacao bean product is pictured on the right.  The mold and bacteria contamination is obvious in the competitor sample.  However, this type of contamination is not obvious when the product has had the skin removed and is broken into nibs.  Be aware of cheap cacao bean and nib products.

If you doubt or do not believe the results above, compare Sunfood Nutrition’s (www.sunfood.com) Cacao Beans/Nibs with any other Cacao Beans/Nibs on the market at home.  Simply soak both products in separate cups of dilute food-grade hydrogen peroxide (1-2%).  The more foaming and bubbles you see, the more contaminated is the sample with microbes, mold and bacteria.

Most distributors and sellers of cacao products are not malicious in their intent of selling a contaminated product.  They simply do not know what kind of commodity they are dealing with and assume that their product is clean and edible.  This message is a wake up call to cacao distributors and sellers to clean up their product before exposing innocent people to dangerous contaminants.  No longer can distributors and sellers claim ignorance on these matters.
Quality:

I want to reiterate that I could sell “raw” cacao at a volume that would allow me to undercut anyone in the industry – with ease. I have selected not to do that because the “raw” cacao that is available at that price and that most people sell is of a greatly inferior quality and is offensive to the consumer.

What constitutes excellent quality cacao? Cacao should have a rich flavor, low astringency, bountiful oil content, purple hues visible in the bean/nib, a microbe-free status and a real organic certification. Cacao should be devoid of any vinegar-like tastes, crisp to the taste (not soft), nutty in texture instead of crumbling into a powder in the bag and mold-free (no visible mold anywhere especially on the skin of the bean).

Because we live in a capitalist society, most people will opt for the lowest price on products regardless of quality (most of the time) or they will automatically suspect that any higher priced item is overpriced and of the same quality as everything else (most of the time).

These two issues indicate a deep crisis always present within capitalism and that is people will do whatever it takes to undercut their competitor’s price (which inevitably undercuts payment to our life-blood farmers when the product is in the food industry).  Essentially, capitalism creates a crisis of education or else individuals will unknowingly opt for literally dangerous cheap products.

A tremendous amount of planning, strategy and quality control has gone into bringing Sunfood Nutrition’s cacao products to you and you should know about it.  This has all been done and set in place long-before competition sellers even knew what a cacao bean was.  We bring this product to you at a competitive price, yet we bring a VASTLY superior quality to the market.

Sunfood Nutrition (www.sunfood.com) supplies cacao that is:

• not fermented (less than 15% … compared to 100% fermentation which is the industry standard)
• a real USDA organic certification
• quality controlled from start-to-finish
• fino de aroma variety (best tasting raw variety in the world)
• crispy fresh texture
• from a fruit that is blue skinned
• grown by happy, well-paid farmers
• microbe-free

I know I vote with my money, that’s a vote that counts. I vote quality every time.

I hope this message has been helpful. In any case, HAVE THE BEST DAY EVER!

David “Avocado” Wolfe
Sunfood Nutrition Inc.
www.sunfood.com