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Thursday, May 14, 2009
Benefits of Cacao Beans and Their Derivatives
Nearly 1,000 years ago, the ancient Aztecs of Central Mexico already were availing themselves of the healthy benefits of cacao beans and their derivatives, especially a nonsugared cacao drink said to be consumed to strengthen the mind and body.
Raw, unprocessed cacao, which can be treated to become common chocolate, is considered to be a powerhouse of cognitive, mood, and bliss enhancement.
Raw cacao includes more than 300 compounds, including the crucial element magnesium, and stimulates neurotransmitters in the brain that orchestrate mood, influence thought patterns, and help dictate alertness.
Miscellaneous facts, figures, and information about cacao beans include:
* Cacao is derived from Theobroma Cacao beans; “Theobroma” meaning “Food of the Gods”
* Cacao includes the chemical phenylethylamine (PEA,) which quickens the pulse and can generate an “in love” euphoria
* Cacao is high in sulfur, creating strong nails and hair
* Anandamide in cacao resembles THC in marijuana, although it would take about 25 pounds of chocolate to generate an equivalent marijuana “high”
* The average dark chocolate bar includes 10 to 60 milligrams of caffeine, while an average cup of coffee can yield up to 175 milligrams
* BrainReady.com lists cacao beans as the second highest-scoring brain health food that’s widely available and all natural, behind wild salmon
* Although cacao includes calcium, it also includes oxalic acid which interferes with the body’s ability to absorb calcium
In 1992, Dr. Guchua Cao, of the National Institute on Aging, in Baltimore, Maryland, devised a scale to record the level and effectiveness of antioxidants as agents to absorb free radicals in the body; free radicals considered to be main contributors to such terminal diseases as cancer, some heart malfunctions, and obesity. Called Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) scores, many look at ORAC scores as a way to determine what is and isn’t healthy to eat.
Using that criteria, although ORAC scores aren’t regulated by the Federal Drug Administration yet, it’s considered the higher ORAC score a food has, the healthier it is.
According to organicconsumers.org, five of the top 10 antioxidant foods on its ORAC chart are derivatives of cacao beans. ORAC scores per 100 grams:
* #1 Raw cocoa powder 95,500, though no more than 40 grams per day is recommended due to oxalic acid
* #2 Raw cacao nibs 62,100
* #3 Roasted cocoa powder 26,000
* #4 Organic Goji berries 25,300
* #5 Acai berries 18,500
* #6 Dark chocolate 13,120
* #7 Milk chocolate 6,740
* #8 Prunes 5,770
* #9 Raisins 2,830
* #10 Blueberries 2,400
Theobromine, as well as oxalic acid, is a negative factor from the more than 300 compounds in cacao beans. Theobromine stimulates the central nervous system, dilates blood vessels, and, though containing only one-fourth the stimulating power of caffeine, is the reason dogs shouldn’t eat any chocolate. Dogs lack the necessary enzymes to metabolize theobromine, and could experience cardiac arrest.
Yet, overall, the value of cacao beans and its derivatives is high.
By Rocky Wilson author of Sharene -- Death: A Prerequisite For Life
