Raw cacao benefit and side effects

What is cacao powder?

Cacao comes from the Theobroma cacao tree, which is native to certain countries in South and Central America. These include Peru, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Brazil, and Venezuela. Although, thanks to the popularity of its beans, people now cultivate cacao in tropical regions all across the world. And why are its beans in such high demand? Because we use them to make chocolate!

Theobroma cacao is an evergreen tree, with shiny green leaves, clusters of yellowy pink flowers, and large, yellow, pod-like fruit. You find the cacao beans tightly packed together within the fleshy white pulp of this fruit – meaning they’re technically seeds.

One benefit of cacao is how versatile it is. After harvesting, you can process the seeds in several ways, including making them into powder, butter, and nibs. People then use these in everything from food to cosmetics – with chocolate being the most famous end product.

Cacao has long held important cultural significance too. Both the Mayans and the Aztecs used it in ceremonies and rituals, as well as for medicinal purposes. Indeed, the name ‘Theobroma’ translates as ‘food of the gods’. Meanwhile, we get ‘cacao’ from the Aztec Nahuatl word xocolatl, meaning bitter water.(1)

And today, people prize cacao not only for its taste but also the wealth of potential ways it boosts wellbeing. Don’t believe that the main ingredient used to make chocolate can be good for you? Get ready for a pleasant surprise as we look at the many amazing benefits of cacao powder.

What is the difference between cacao and cocoa?

Before we discuss the first benefit of cacao powder, it might be helpful to distinguish cacao from cocoa. This can sometimes get confusing, because not everyone uses the two terms in the same way. However, they are technically different.

Both cacao and cocoa come from the Theobroma cacao tree. The way they differ is in how they’re processed, which also affects how good for our health they are. After harvesting, the first step in processing cacao beans is to ferment them for several days. This helps to develop the distinctive chocolatey flavour and scent of the beans. The next stage is to leave them to air dry in the sun. Here’s where things diverge.

To make cocoa, producers then roast the beans to further deepen the flavour and lessen their astringency. When making cacao, you skip this step and use the beans in their raw form.

Either way, you then crush the beans to remove the outer shell and make cocoa or cacao nibs. You can eat these as they are or turn them into powder. To do so, you grind the nibs to create a liquor. Next, you cold-press the liquor to separate out the cocoa or cacao butter. Finally, dry and grind what’s left, and you have cocoa or cacao powder.

Cocoa powder tends to look darker than cacao powder, and the two also have different flavour profiles. For example, cacao usually has a more bitter taste than cocoa. Most importantly, the benefit of cacao powder to our health is greater than that of cocoa powder. Time to discover why it’s so good for you.

Food of the gods: how does cacao powder benefit health?

Cacao boasts an impressive nutritional profile that can boost our wellbeing in several ways. Firstly, cacao powder is bursting with key minerals including iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, phosphorus, and manganese.(2) Each of these has a vital role to play when it comes to our health. For example, we need iron to make red blood cells, while copper supports the immune system and brain development. Meanwhile, magnesium assists over 300 enzymes in carrying out chemical reactions in the body.

Another benefit of cacao powder is that it’s rich in flavonoids. These are potent plant compounds which have a number of helpful properties. In fact, research links eating a diet high in flavonoids with a lower risk of many chronic diseases, including cancer.(3)

One reason for this is that flavonoids, such as catechin in cacao, act as antioxidants. These defend our cells against damage caused by free radicals, which experts have linked to a range of harmful conditions. That includes atherosclerosis, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and diabetes. Speaking of diabetes, flavonoids may also help cacao benefit blood sugar levels by improving insulin sensitivity. However, further research is necessary to clarify this.

An additional benefit of cacao powder is that it could work to fight chronic inflammation. Research has found that certain polyphenols in cacao can reduce inflammatory markers in humans, animals, and test-tube studies.(4) Just like oxidative stress, evidence links chronic inflammation with a multitude of harmful health conditions, from arthritis to obesity. Reducing it could decrease the risk of developing such conditions, plus help to boost the immune system.