By Dr. med. Claudia Schmiemann
The cacao plant is native to the Amazon rainforest. Already 5.300 years ago the cacao beans which are actually the seeds of the plant were processed to a rich beverage for spiritual ceremonies.
There are three main varieties of this plant: Forastero, Criollo and Trinitario.
Cacao trees grow in a limited geographical zone 20 degree north and south the equator. Nowadays 70% of the crop are from the African continent (West Africa). Forastero makes 80-90% of the harvest for the world market. Criollo is grown as a delicacy foremost in Venezuela.
The mood stabilizing properties of the cacao bean are due to the boost of serotonin production. It is also able to help level hormones in the female cycle. The content of flavonols which belong to the anti-oxidants helps to protect the cardio vascular system by keeping the vessel walls clean and flexible.
Other anti-oxidants like the catechins and anthocyanins are cell protective and have an anti-aging component. The high amounts of Magnesium are a nice contribution to keep your bones healthy and dense and your muscles soft and well circulated.
In our guts it helps to feed the healthy bacteria leading to a better balanced microbiome and therefore better digestion and mood. Cacao is superrich in fiber.
When I am mentioning cacao in this article I am talking about raw cacao (that you can get in an organic quality at Costco), I am NOT talking about chocolate
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