John Myers
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Word has already got around that conventional cocoa is healthy. Raw cacao is even better. It has what it takes to be a superfood. Here we explain why.
Raw cacao has more healthy content
You probably know it from fruit and vegetables: most of the vitamins in fresh food are reduced as soon as they are heated. The same thing happens with cocoa. In conventional cocoa production, the beans are roasted. This not only changes the taste but also reduces some valuable ingredients.
- When drying and fermenting the cocoa beans, manufacturers of raw cocoa make sure that the temperatures do not rise above 40 degrees Celsius. In addition, the cocoa is of course not roasted.
- You can recognize raw cocoa or products made from it that has been carefully produced in this way by the labeling as “raw” or “raw”.
- Raw cocoa contains more so-called bioflavonoids and vitamins than conventional cocoa, as these are very sensitive to heat.
What particularly characterizes raw cocoa
A key ingredient that makes raw cacao valuable is apparently the flavonoid epicatechin. Other important ingredients that are better preserved in untreated raw cocoa are a number of B vitamins: B1, B5, B6, and folic acid are among them.
- Epicatechin reduces bad LDL cholesterol, protects against arteriosclerosis, and prevents the formation of oxygen radicals. These radicals cause faster aging and are sometimes even involved in the development of cancer.
- The blood sugar level can also be positively influenced by the flavonoid epicatechin. A tasty measure to prevent diabetes would be to enjoy raw cocoa.
- Some athletes hope for an additional effect of epicatechin: According to studies, it can apparently promote the build-up of muscle mass. However, the study situation on this is still very thin.
- Folic acid is also a vitamin that makes cocoa interesting. The vitamin supports growth processes and good blood formation.
- Vitamin B5, pantothenic acid, is another heat-sensitive vitamin. It helps in many metabolic processes. A B5-Plus is recommended for skin problems such as acne or hair loss.
