Cacao and Benefits

Finally there is some good news for all those chocolate lovers in the world. Chocolate at least in its raw form is actually good for your health. That's right, Cacao beans and powder in its raw form without all that sugar and dairy added to it, is actually one of the world's best super foods. Here are a few things you probably did not know about the benefits of cacao.

For starters the Cacao bean or seed contains 300 identifiable compounds. Many of these compounds are beneficial to our health and our well being. Take for example that cacao is one of the best natural sources of magnesium. Your body needs magnesium in order to function properly. Cacao can give your body the magnesium it needs to perform at peak efficiency. However, there are many other benefits to raw chocolate that you may not know about.

Cacao contains anandamide. This means that cacao can act as a mood enhancer since anandamide is a natural euphoric. Chocolate has been well documented as a mild anti-depressant and chocolate in it's raw form functions as a mood elevator at a much higher level than does processed chocolate. In addition one of the benefits of cacao is typtophan which is in and of itself a natural anti-depressant. So Cacao contains two compounds or ingredients that can help elevate your mood and keep you from feeling blue.

Other health benefits of cacao include:

* Can help with weight loss due to the chromium content 

* Can help regulate blood sugar 

* Cacao is also thought to be a natural aphrodisiac due to its arginine content

There have been several studies done that suggests that cacao and the benefits of cacao are good for your circulation, can help strengthen your immune system and may even play a role in how long you live. Surprisingly, these studies while documenting several benefits of cacao found no adverse affect from consuming chocolate in its raw form. What this means is that if you don't add all the sweeteners and dairy to cacao it may well be one of the best foods ever found for keeping people healthy without showing any negative side effects.

How To Add Cacao To Your Diet For Maximum Benefits

If you want to see for yourself the advantages of cacao and benefits derived from cacao then you can purchase cacao both in bean or powder form. If you purchase Cacao powder you can easily add it to your shakes, smoothies, favorite coffee mixes, fresh fruit, ice cream or throw a couple of teaspoons in that big pot of chili.

Some people purchase the whole cacao bean and take it much like you would a vitamin supplement. If you can stand the slightly bitter taste just one Cacao bean a day can provide your body with tons of anti-oxidants, magnesium and vitamin C as well as many other minerals and vitamins as well. Before long you will see and feel just how much difference the benefits of cacao can make to your life and your health.