08/07/2021
THE MYTH: COCOA AND CACAO ARE THE SAME THING
THE TRUTH: These two terms are often confused because in English the words cacao and cocoa are both used to describe the same plant.However, "cocoa" is generally used to refer to a roasted/more processed product while "cacao" products are more natural and typically unroasted.
The Spanish were the first Europeans to bring cacao from the New World to the Old World where it quickly became a popular food enjoyed by the upper classes in Western and Northern Europe.
Over the past 10-15 years there has been a renewed interest in raw (unroasted) chocolate or cacao which has coincided with the global shift towards healthier lifestyles and diets. More and more people have become interested in consuming organic, minimally processed foods and tapping into ancient wisdom via traditional healing and spirituality practices.
It's use in ancient mesoamerican tribal cultures is well documented and is still observed to this day with many farmers continuing to use the same techniques as their ancestors to grow, cultivate and consume cacao beans.
Historically, therapeutic uses of cacao included balancing the nervous system, improving digestion and restoring overall health with current scientific literature providing considerable evidence that cacao reduces risk of cardiovascular disease via several different mechanisms.
The anti-inflammatory effects of the polyphenols found in cacao have been seen to cause cardiovascular alterations and the many antioxidants found in cacao are thought to directly influence insulin resistance and, in turn, reduce risk for diabetes.
Cacao contains more phenolic antioxidants than most foods and by never exposing the cacao to high temperatures or highly processed ingredients, the majority of these natural qualities can remain in-tact.
Aside from the many physiological effects that raw cacao can produce in the human body, theobromine (the active element in cacao) creates an increase in alertness and focus which in large quantities can become overwhelming to the consumer.
For this reason raw cacao has and continues to be integrated into spiritual practices based on meditation and/or movement.