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Before my journey into raw foods, I had never heard of raw cacao powder. To think that I spent 38 years in the dark about this! It’s kind of like having spinach in your teeth… “How come nobody told me about this stuff?!”
All chocolate is made from Cacao Beans (also known as Cocoa Beans). Cut to the chase… it is chocolate! All the antioxidant value, mineral benefits, neurotransmitter rejuvenating properties, and overall health-giving qualities of chocolate are found in raw cacao beans!
Raw cacao powder is created by taking the nibs and then cold-pressing the oil out. When the oil is removed from the nibs, what is left is a dense, nutritionally packed dry mass. This mass is then ground into a fine powder. When truly raw, every precaution is taken to ensure that no heat is used and maximum potency results.
Well, it has an antioxidant-rich chocolate flavor that is very, very bitter! Cacao powder isn’t meant to be eaten as is. It needs a little support from the sweetener section in your pantry. I suppose some hard-core dark chocolate lovers can handle its bitter notes, but they may be far and few between.
It’s wonderful to add to your favorite smoothies, teas, coffee mixes, desserts, or anything else you can think of. Just one or two spoonfuls can transform any recipe into a healthy chocolate treat.
Please, is there in the cacao beans inhibitors or not?
Thanks a lot for answer.
Hello Pavia,
If you are using whole cacao beans crunch them between your fingers to loosen and remove the peel.
MAO Inhibitors
“Cacao seems to diminish appetite, probably due to its monoamine oxidase enzyme inhibitors (MAO inhibitors) – these are different from digestive enzyme inhibitors found in most nuts and seeds. These rare MAO inhibitors actually produce favorable results when consumed by allowing more serotonin and other neurotransmitters to circulate in the brain. According to Dr. Gabriel Cousens, MAO inhibitors facilitate rejuvenation.” (sourced – http://www.thepowermall.com/thecenterforhealth/healthy_food/chocolate.htm)
I hope this helps, amie sue
I live in the Tropics where we can get raw cacao beans fairly cheaply in the market. I LOVE them! I have found some great recipes online (including your ice cream recipe – not made it yet though) And eating alot of the beans do make you kind of overactive – it did me anyway. So i am tempering myself. I found a great chocoltae cake smoothie recipe somewhere online and that is my favourite treat sometimes once per week, and it does fill you up to the brim for ages! Awesome stuff!
Yes, cacao can really effect some people in overactive ways. haha I can’t eat too much of it myself. May I ask were you live Joy? Have a pleasant evening. amie sue
I have a sensitivity to processed chocolate, it causes a migraine. I have been toying the idea of trying raw cacao in a recipe to see if it affects me in the same way, but frankly, am afraid. Do you know anything about the difference between refined chocolate and raw cacao, or what in the chocolate may be causing the reaction.
Hello Linda,
Most likely, you will have the same respond to raw cacao. Raw cacao contains over 300 naturally occurring chemicals and many of them are detrimental to the human body IF you have a reaction to even just one of them, which it clearly sounds like you do. I have known many people who are in the same boat as you are and they have to avoid it all together.
Do you normally consume foods or beverages with caffeine? If you are sensitive to caffeine that could possibly be the issue You can do a lot of Googling and find that there are those who say that it is a miracle superfood, such as David Wolfe and those who feel it can be harmful to the body (just like any other food out there!) http://www.holistichelp.net/blog/is-raw-cacao-really-healthy/.
It’s next to impossible for me to know what exactly could be causing these reactions within your body. I am sorry though that you are having these headaches. I have had them in the past myself and I know how hard they are. Have you tried carob as a chocolate replacement? Sending you love and healing thoughts, amie sue
Thanks so much for your comments. I am now convinced that I will NOT be trying raw cacao. I have to be careful with caffeine so you may be correct that it could be the culprit. I will check out the website you recommend, and yes, I have tried carob. It’s a pretty good replacement. I have just resigned myself to the fact that I can’t have chocolate… there are worse things. Thanks for your insight.
Your welcome Linda. It might not always be the case, maybe in time as your body heals you will be able to handle but until this my goal would be to heal. :) Blessings, amie sue