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Raw, Organic Cacao Nibs

Chocolate is a food many Americans love. However, chocolate has received a bad wrap because of it's high white sugar content, and it's additives.  Chocolate is a processed food responsible in many people's eyes for Candida overgrowth, cavities, osteoporosis, and a contributing cause of sickness, disease, and declining health in the western world.  However, there is hope for chocolate lovers everywhere!!!

How is Traditional Chocolate Made?

The traditional way of making chocolate takes the dried beans and roasts them at 250°-350° F for anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours.  The roasting further enhances the chocolate flavor and taste.  After roasting, the beans are winnowed to remove the outer shell.  The inner nib is then crushed and heated to melt the fats contained in the seed.  The hot nibs are ground into a thick paste called Chocolate liquor (even though it is called a liquor it does not contain any alcohol).  Next, to further enhance the chocolate flavor, the liquor is treated with an alkali (Sodium Hydroxide, NaOH).  If the nibs are to be made into cocoa powder and cocoa butter, alkali is not used.  In this case, the warm nibs are ground and the cocoa butter is extracted or pressed out.  The left over cake is cocoa powder.

Dark chocolate is made by combining chocolate liquor with sugar, cocoa butter and vanilla.  Milk chocolate is made by combining chocolate liquor with sugar, cocoa butter, and milk solids or milk powder.  White chocolate is made without chocolate liquor.  It is the cocoa butter that gives it a chocolate flavor.

Cacao Nibs are different:

Wilderness Family Naturals' cacao nibs contain no sugar and are approximately 45% fat. They have not been roasted or processed.  They have not been ground, pressed, or processed except for a natural fermentation that occurs under banana leaves.  They are certified organic and come from a certified organic farm in the Philippines.

So, most people feel chocolate is not healthy?  Are cacao beans healthy?

According to Bernard Jensen's research the heart muscle needs two minerals more than any other mineral.  These minerals are magnesium and potassium.  Magnesium is 18 times greater in the heart muscle than in the bloodstream.  It is always low when there are heart problems.  Magnesium increases the strength and vigor of the heart muscle.  Magnesium decreases coagulation of the blood, lowers blood pressure, and strengthens the heart. Magnesium is found in abundance in cacao beans, they are higher in magnesium than any other food.  Some people believe the reason pregnant women crave chocolate is their need for magnesium.  Magnesium balances brain chemistry, builds strong bones, and is associated with good mental health.  It is also believed that over 80% of Americans are deficient in magnesium.  I know a physician (neurologist) who is curing migraines simply with magnesium supplementation.  Magnesium has been shown to stop 80% of premature labor!  Magnesium is very important for the human body and most of us are deficient in it.

Cacao is also rich in Sulfur.  Sulfur builds strong nails, hair, nice healthy skin, detoxifies the liver, and supports healthy pancreas function.  Sulfur is also used by some to help detoxify mercury in the body.

According to research, anti-oxidants such as epicatechins and polyphenols are found in abundance in raw cacao beans.  Cacao nibs are reported to contain 10 grams of anti-oxidants for every 100 grams of beans.  That means 10% anti-oxidants!!  In 100 grams of processed cocoa powder there is approximately 0.05 grams of antioxidants (this is only 5%).  Even this percentage is quite high , though half of what they find in raw cacao beans.  Cocoa powder when compared with red wine has twice the anti-oxidants and three times that of green tea.  This was published in the American Chemical Society's Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, a peer-reviewed publication and entitled "Cocoa has more Phenolic Phytochemicals and Higher Antioxidant Capacity than Teas and Red Wine."Unfortunately a normal chocolate bar contains approximately 500 milligrams per 100 grams or .5%.

The anti-oxidants in cacao are considered to be highly stable and easily available to human metabolism. The following are published Anti-oxidant ORAC levels per 100 grams:

ORAC test examines the anti-oxidant levels of foods.  The higher the ORAC score, the higher the level of anti-oxidants present in the food.

Cacao definitely can increase a person's energy substantially.  Cacao contains the stimulating methylxanthines: theobromine and a small amount of caffeine.  Theobromine makes up 1-2 percent of the cacao bean.  It stimulates the central nervous system, relaxes smooth muscles and dilates blood vessels. This is why it has been used to treat high blood pressure.  Theobromine has about a quarter of the stimulating powder of caffeine.  It is also a mild diuretic and have been used as a medicinal drug when heart attack resulted in an accumulation of body fluid.

Theobromine is a cardiac stimulant.  This is why dogs should not eat cacao or chocolate.  It has been known to cause a cardiac arrest (heart attack) in dogs, because of the stimulation to the heart.  Dogs lack the enzymes necessary to metabolize quantities of theobromine in excess of 100-150 mg/kg of the dog's body weight.

Estimates on exactly how much caffeine is in cacao differ depending on the source.  However, it is generally agreed that chocolate is a poor source of caffeine.  For example a cup of hot chocolate has 1/20th the amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee. Sources say you would find somewhere between 25 milligrams to 0 milligrams in a cup of hot cocoa.  And you would need to eat 800 grams of milk chocolate (1.8 pounds) to get the same amount of caffeine as you would find in one cup of coffee.

Fascinating research done in homeopathy showed caffeine contained in a heat-processed or cooked food had a stimulating effect on the body, however, that stimulating effect was not present when the caffeine came from a raw food. In one experiment they made a hot drink using roasted cacao beans in boiling water.  This beverage produced an excitement of the nervous system similar to that caused by black coffee and an excited state of circulation demonstrated by an increase in pulse.  When the same beverage was made with raw, un-roasted cacao beans, neither effect was notable.

There are also naturally occurring biochemicals in cacao beans that increase the activity of neurotransmitters (brain chemicals).  These chemicals help us with our ability to pay attention and stay alert.  PEA, for example, is elevated when we are captivated by a good book, movie or focused on something.  PEA is an adrenal-related chemical, greatly elevated when we are in love and "euphoric".  Is this why chocolates are traditionally given on Valentines Day?

A natural biochemical called anandamide (called the Bliss Chemical), helps us to feel happy and "bliss".  Anandamide is naturally produced in the brain and present while we are feeling great.  It is also found in cacao.  In addition, MAO (Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors are found in cacao.  These inhibitors actually produce favorable results when consumed by allowing more serotonin and other neurotransmitters such as anadamide, dopamine, etc. to circulate in the brain.  These enzyme inhibitors actually decrease our bodies' ability to breakdown anandamide and other brain chemicals making these good biochemicals stay around longer.  This makes us feel good from eating cacao.

MAO inhibitors make one younger as they allow more neurotransmitters to remain in the bloodstream.  A major difference seen between adults and children.  With lower levels of MAO inhibitors there comes a decrease in neurotransmissions, creating physical rigidity, less creativity, less joy, and more aging.  Cacao being an MAO inhibitor, helps to stop this type of aging phenomenon.

Raw Cacao Milk:

1 Liter Coconut Water
1/4 cup raw cacao nibs
10 raw, soaked and dried cashews
3-5 tablespoons maca root
3-5 tablespoons natural sweetener
2-3 tablespoons Coconut oil
2-3 pinches of natural salt
2-3 pinches of cinnamon

Blend everything together in a high speed blender and enjoy.

To this recipe you can add whey protein mineral powder or a raw egg, coconut milk, coconut milk powder, or whatever your imagination comes up with.

Other ideas:

We make a coconut pudding by adding coconut cream to freeze dried coconut and letting it set in the fridge over night or about 6 hours during the day.  The addition of raw cacao is like adding chocolate chips to it and is delicious.

You can add the raw cacao to any coconut-based or fruit-based smoothie.  You can add a touch of any natural sweetener and enjoy or just eat it plain by the handful.  If you sweeten and freeze them, they can become a delicious frozen treat.  They are wonderful in raw bars with fruit, grains, or whatever your favorite recipe entails.

Cacao Smoothie:

3 Bananas
Any other fruit
2-3 tablespoons maca root powder
1 tablespoon any berries, freeze dried (1/2 to 1 cup frozen or fresh)
minerals
a raw egg or powdered protein coconut milk, coconut cream or coconut oil.

Blend in a Vitamix or high speed blender and enjoy.

We recommend Wilderness Family Naturals products because of their integrity and quality. However, other online retailers and natural food stores may also carry similar goods. Whenever, possible we have tried to give you information on how to recognize superior products. Wilderness Family Naturals products can be found at: www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com or by calling (800) 945-3801.