(8 Reasons) Why You Must Have Cacao Butter: The Complete List of its Health Benefits
by Ramon E Martinez August 29, 2020
This is the real, complete list of cacao butter, and hence dark chocolate health benefits.
While some people avoid eating chocolate because of the high-fat content, eating balanced quantities of the right kinds of fats is essential to maintain the body’s optimal health and functioning.
If you are one of those souls that avoid fats, join the group that chooses to consume dark chocolate for its health benefits. One reason for this selection is the cacao butter included in the cacao seeds themselves or the cacao butter added to make the chocolate smooth.
Do you want to keep your heart healthy and be happy every day? You must keep reading our review.
WHERE DOES CACAO BUTTER AND CHOCOLATE COME FROM?
Chocolate comes from the cacao plant, a native tree of the Amazon River Basin, which, over time, was traded and brought to other areas of South and Central America. When harvested, the cacao pods are split open, and the cacao beans are removed, fermented, and dried. Then, two processes might take place:
- Cacao beans are roasted, winnowed, ground, and conched to make chocolate, or
- Cacao beans are pressed to separate the cacao butter and solids. The cacao butter extracted is then used to make a variety of chocolate products, including dark chocolate.
Cacao butter is the plant’s purest fat extract – it’s unroasted, unsweetened, and comes from cold-pressing the cacao beans as mentioned above. This pure extraction also means that cacao fat maintains the cacao seeds’ natural nutrients, which benefit and support your health.
Cacao Butter Has “Good Fat”
It is a fact that cacao butter has a high-fat content. However, this fat contains many “Good Fats” that promote overall health rather than compromise it.
One such healthy fat found in cacao butter is Oleic Acid. This monounsaturated fat is also found in foods like nuts, eggs, olive oil, and avocados.
Health Benefit #1 – Reduce Heart Disease
Oleic acid protects you against atherosclerosis (fat build-up in your blood vessels) by reducing cholesterol. A research study revealed that daily consumption of 6 grams of chocolate could reduce heart disease risk, in part because of the oleic acid content.
Health Benefit #2 – Diabetes Prevention
A study from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Cohort showed that regularly consuming one ounce of chocolate per week could lower the risk of diabetes by 34%.
Health Benefit #3 – Decrease High Blood Pressure
Another study of the Kuna Indians on the Caribbean coast of Panamá revealed that the tribespeople had an unusually low incidence of hypertension. This effect is attributed to cacao’s regular consumption with doses of over five cups a day, even though their salt intake was relatively high.
Cacao butter also contains Stearic Acid, which is a saturated fatty acid. Contrary to popular myths that say saturated fat is bad for your health, studies show that stearic acid does not increase atherosclerosis risk. It actually reduces LDL cholesterol (cholesterol particle commonly linked with an increased risk of heart disease if too elevated).
Health Benefit #4 – Lower LDL Cholesterol
As mentioned above and in part because of cacao’s stearic acid content, cacao butter, and as a consequence, dark chocolate, benefit your cholesterol particles profile.
It can also help reduce blood pressure, enhancing heart function, and lowering the risk of cancer.
Cacao butter also contains Omega-3 Fatty Acids, which play a significant role in handling triglycerides in your body. This fact contributes to your emotional well-being.
Health Benefit #5 – Reduce Depression
Consuming a healthy amount of Omega-3 fatty acids, like the ones contained in cacao butter and dark chocolate may reduce symptoms of depression.
That’s why some people crave a piece of chocolate when they’re feeling down or why women, during their menstrual cycles, might crave chocolate. Their serotonin levels take a dip, and the omega-3 fatty acids will intervene to elevate serotonin.
Health Benefit #6 – Cognitive Support
Omega-3 fatty acids also support cognitive function and help reduce cognitive impairment and dementia in the elderly. A Harvard Medical School study revealed that drinking two cups a day of hot chocolate could support brain health and lower memory loss in older people.
Health Benefit #7 – Lower Cancer Risk
The study mentioned above regarding Caribbean natives also showed a lower incidence of cancer. They have 15-fold lower cancer rates than their other fellow Panamanians. Remember, they consumed a high amount of cacao drinks per day, also showing a meager chance of high blood pressure. This is a great reason to consume more cacao.
So, How do you add cacao butter to your diet while enjoying #TheGoodnessOfLife? Here are some ideas:
- Make a dark chocolate fondue with cacao nibs inside and eat it with fresh fruits
- Drink a cup of dark hot chocolate (CHECK HOW I DO IT HERE)
- Sprinkle cacao nibs over your oatmeal to add some more nutrients and anti-oxidants to your breakfast
- Eat cacao nibs with antioxidant-rich dried, unsweetened fruits like cherries, goji berries, cranberries, and figs for a super-antioxidant snack.
- Blend dark chocolate, cacao nibs, or cacao butter with your morning smoothie
- Eat a square or two good quality, fairly traded dark chocolate or cacao (CHECK OUR SHOP)
Additional Benefit (#8) – People’s Lives
In addition to cacao fat’s health benefits, today, there are many options to buy humanely-produced cacao products that benefit all the supply chain.
We mean that the chocolate maker sources its raw material directly from the farmer and pays a fair price, always much higher than commodity price. It is essential to understand that cacao beans are mostly considered a commodity, and many large chocolate corporations use child and slave labor to harvest and process cacao.
By buying craft cacao products within the bean-to-bar world, you invest your dollars in high-quality cacao; supporting entire farmers’ communities and socially responsible practices. That is also part of the goodness of life!
Conclusion
Now it’s your turn! As Michael Levine said, “Chemically speaking, chocolate is the world’s perfect food.” The healthy fats in cacao butter can help promote heart health, alleviate depression, reduce cancer, and enhance cognition.
disadur :https://clubchokolate.com/blogs/dark-chocolate-experience-blog/cacao-butter-health-benefits
Cacao Butter: Superfood for People and Skin
Cacao butter has massive benefits when you eat it and when you apply it to your skin. You might know of it as chocolate, but cacao is a less processed form that does not use high heat, leaving the superfood qualities intact. It’s nourishing inside and out. It’s full of healthy fats, nutrients, antioxidants and helps balance mood regulating hormones.
Cacao butter is one of many ways the cacao bean can be processed. Unlike cocoa butter that is heated, cacao butter is the raw, cold pressed oil of the cacao bean that preserves more of the nutrients and enzymes. That gives cacao butter a superfood punch that makes it far superior to cocoa butter.
6 Things We Like About Cacao Butter
1) It’s a healthy fat.
This 100% vegan fat is a great addition for those who are on a plant-based diet or who are trying to get more healthy, saturated fats in their diet. Its full of fatty acids like oleic acid, palmitic acid, and stearic acid that are antioxidants that fight free radicals. These antioxidants also ensure a long shelf life.
2) Cacao butter makes us happy.
It boosts neurotransmitters and balances hormones. When you are PMS-ing, your dopamine and serotonin levels will drop. Your body doesn’t like that and knows when to call for help. That’s why you crave chocolate.
A nice cacao butter massage is another way to release that feel good hormone serotonin. Cacao is one of those amazing superfoods that is good for a woman’s hormones, inside and out. So, men, grab that cacao butter to give the woman in your life a massage. She will thank you and you will thank us.
3) Helps you age well.
It’s packed with polyphenols. These antioxidants help you age well by fighting free radicals and by reducing the appearance of aging. Your cacao butter’s polyphenols can work on the inside when you eat it or on the outside when delivered as a cacao butter lotion. Polyphenols can help with skin tone, elasticity and collagen production while making you look and feel younger.
4) Increases Immunity.
Those polyphenols also help the immune system fight free radicals and reduce inflammation. Inflammation is the key cause to the majority of illnesses. Reducing inflammation and fighting free radicals prevents illness from becoming damaging disease.
5) Get rid of stretch marks and scars.
The qualities that help us age well can also help us heal. Cacao butter is nourishing, hydrating and full of antioxidants that can help regenerate the skin.
6) Revs up the metabolism.
The good fats, hormone regulating properties and magnesium of cacao butter contribute to make it a food that will prime the pump. This food is going to help with metabolism and relieve constipation.
Cacao Butter Superfood
Cacao butter really is a superfood whether you eat it or apply it to your skin. Make sure you are getting the good stuff though. The pure, cold processed chocolate will retain more of the vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants that make this food super. Do your research or check out our favorite. If you want to learn more about the benefits of cacao check our article on chocolate– the good chocolate. Enjoy all the amazing qualities of cacao butter for you, inside and out.
Learn more about cacao in this Quick Tip!
disadur :https://www.thewellnessway.com/cacao-butter-superfood/
