Cacao: the healthiest type of chocolate that you will ever eat?

If you’re a chocoholic, you’re probably used to trying to decide between many different types of chocolate; however, you might still have overlooked the merits of cacao powder.

What is cacao Powder?

It is, defined as the purest kind of chocolate you can eat. As it is highly unprocessed, it can bring many more health benefits than more familiar forms of chocolate.

GETTING A SENSE OF DÉJÀ VU?

We know what you might think: Why does the name ‘cacao’ ring a bell? That may be because it is very similar to ‘cocoa’ – a term commonly used for another type of chocolate. However, Cacao and Cocoa differ in crucial ways, especially when production methods are considered.

Cacao and Cocoa are made from cacao beans, from cacao pods produced by the cacao fruit tree called Theobroma cacao. Cacao butter, which is found in cacao beans and tastes and looks like white chocolate, is taken from the bean, leaving the rest of the fruit to be used in the production of raw cacao powder.

Some moot that Cocoa is a misspelling of Cacao, a mistake made when the beans were first brought back to Europe by the early Spanish explorers.

THE RIGHT KIND OF CACAO

Many health benefits can be derived from consuming Cacao, as it’s believed to have more antioxidants than any other food. Nonetheless, exactly how rich in antioxidants Cacao is depended on where it is grown; for that reason, you can take comfort from the fact that we source our Cacao from South America, which provides better quality Cacao than South East Asia, another notable grower of the seed.

Soil Association-certified organic raw cacao capsules can be purchased from our product selection here at The Natural Health Market.

HOW DOES COCOA DIFFER FROM CACAO?

Cocoa powder is the most familiar form of Cacao. While it is made similarly, Cocoa is subjected to temperatures above 40°C, which kills most of the antioxidants the raw cacao powder contains. Also, Cocoa is generally blended with sugar, anticoagulants and colouring to keep the product consistent.

Cacao contains around 30% oils, so it can clump and change colour when exposed to high temperatures. However, as supermarkets and mass food manufacturers don’t like inconsistencies or waste, they opt for highly processed products that are less likely to spoil than those with higher nutritional values. So all our cacao products are RAW and unprocessed.

Suppose you want chocolate with as many nutrients as possible. In that case, we urge you to choose raw cacao chocolate instead – and buying organic cacao capsules from our online store can be a good start if you are currently inexperienced with Cacao.

We wish you the happiest and healthiest chocolate-eating this festive New Year season!