The Benefits of Eating Chocolate

One of our key goals at supernature was to ALWAYS keep our ingredients to real food and never use any extra additives, emulsifiers or preservatives that are so common to chocolate these days. But as well as talking about the bad stuff that we don't include, let's talk about the GOOD stuff that we DO include...

A lot of our personal understanding of the benefits of cacao powder came from David Wolfe and his book "Superfoods” where he lists cacao beans as a superfood, with health benefits ranging from helping to prevent cancer and improving memory loss, to protecting your nervous system and reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease.

 

Cacao Butter

Cacao butter has countless benefits such as reducing blood pressure, enhancing heart function and reducing risk of cancer.

Cacao butter contains many "Good Fats" such as Oleic acid which is found in foods such as avocados and has numerous health benefits.

For example, oleic acid protects against atherosclerosis via lowering cholesterol and therefor reduces risk of heart disease. It can also help lower the risk of diabetes and decrease high blood pressure. One study of the Kuna Indians on the Caribbean coast of Panamá demonstrated the tribespeople had a particularly low rate of hypertension. This finding was attributed to cacao's regular consumption!

Interestingly, cacao butter also contains Stearic acid, which although being a saturated fatty acid, in fact reduces LDL cholesterol, which is the cholesterol typically associated with risk of heart disease.

Finally, cacao butter also contains Omega-3 fatty acids which have benefits such as supporting cognitive function and helping to reduce symptoms of depression. Why do you think we sometimes crave chocolate when we're feeling low- those omega-3 fatty acids help to elevate our serotonin!... Chocolate definitely makes me feel happy ;)

 

Coconut Sugar

There are multiple reasons why we use coconut sugar as our sweetener, aside from the basic fact that it is less processed than regular sugar. For example, regular sugar and high-fructose corn syrup contain zero nutrients and are therefore providing so-called "empty" calories. Alternatively, coconut sugar contains minerals such as iron, zinc, calcium and potassium, as well as some short-chain fatty acids like polyphenols and antioxidants.

It also contains a fibre called inulin, which may help to slow glucose absorption and explain why coconut sugar has a lower glycemic index than regular table sugar.

 

Finally, we can't forget those tasty extras! Peanuts are full of healthy fats, high-quality protein and are a fabulous source of multiple vitamins and minerals whilst also being low in carbs. Interestingly, observational studies have suggested peanuts can help for maintaining a healthy weight and reducing obesity risk.

Similarly, hazelnuts are full of vitamins, minerals as well as antioxidant compounds and healthy fats. Other potential benefits have been investigated such as regulating blood pressure, helping decrease blood fat levels, reducing inflammation and improving blood sugar levels.

 

Like everything, in moderation, almonds can be a great source to improve cholesterol levels, thanks to their unsaturated fats. They are low in carbohydrates but rich in fibre and protein. Research has found that not only are they a good source of Vitamin E, but they also have certain protective factors against the development of breast cancer.

 

If you made it to the end of that whopper of a blog, congrats, we're barely holding on either. But we do of course truly believe in the benefits of eating real foods with wonderful properties to fuel our bodies day-in and day-out.

P.S. A lot of the info here came from healthline.com which is a super helpful website for health information whose articles are reviewed by doctors.