Heart Health and Ceremonial Cacao
Cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death worldwide, but with diet and lifestyle you can offer a lot of prevention. With consumption of 100% pure cacao in particular. It has been linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Cocoa beans are the richest sources of polyphenols in the world, polyphenols are a group of antioxidants that you get from plant foods. Antioxidants catch aggressive substances in the body, which can cause damage to tissues and cells.
Several epidemiological studies have shown a strong association between daily cocoa intake of favanol-rich* cocoa on lowering blood pressure, anti-inflammatory properties, improving blood vessels, reducing excess platelets and improving glucose and lipid metabolism.
These positive effects were found in healthy subjects but also in patients with risk factors (hypertension, diabetes and smoking) or established cardiovascular diseases.
Cocoa consumption has also been shown to improve the layer of cells lining our blood vessels in patients and healthy individuals. Eating or drinking a moderate amount of flavanol-rich cocoa in your daily diet may therefore hold great promise for improving your heart and blood vessels.
Commercial chocolate
Although flavanols are likely responsible for the beneficial effects of cocoa, they are lost during the conventional chocolate production process when chocolate is highly roasted and alkalized during processing to change the color of the cocoa and give it a milder flavor. This process reduces flavanols from commercial chocolate by 60%!
Why ceremonial cacao?
When harvesting ceremonial cacao, cacao beans are fermented by the microbiotics from the environment. This process creates flavor precursors and special substances that enter the cacao that develop further. The ceremonial cacao from Cacao Wonder is processed as little as possible, not heated and roasted, so that all the beautiful nutrients and flavanols from the bean remain intact.
In humans, flavanol concentrations increase after ingestion (depending on the amount) and usually reach their peak 2-3 hours after cocoa ingestion. Flavanols are still detectable in plasma 8 hours after consumption. Cocoa is also rich in theobromine, and minerals such as potassium and magnesium.
source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5539137/#B9
* Cocoa is high in flavanols, which are antioxidants that occur naturally in plant foods. Flavanols can help relax blood vessels and improve blood flow, which lowers blood pressure. Flavonoids also have a beneficial effect on the skin, because they protect against free radicals and are good for connective tissue.