Cacao Nibs (cont..)


Delicious Raw Chocolate, Rich in Anti-Oxidants, High in Magnesium and Sulphur.

Cacao is known as the 'Food of the Gods' in South America. It is an incredibly nutritious superfood, high in anti-oxidants and minerals. It has been attributed with increasing mental focus and awareness and is said to help keep you happy because of the Anandamide and Phenylethlamine it contains.

The Cacao bean or seed comes from pods produced by the Cacao tree (Theombroma cacao), which grows in South America. The beans were so highly valued they were used as a form of currency during the conquistador period. Cacao Nibs are the beans, which have been peeled and broken into smaller fragments.

Delicous Raw Chocolate

So many people enjoy eating chocolate but very few have ever eaten it in its natural, nutritiously superior state. Chocolate makers take the Cacao beans, roast them, crush them and add sugar (and sometimes milk) to make chocolate. Keeping the beans in their raw state ( i.e. not roasting them) helps to maintain their amazing array of nutritional gems.

Anandamide is a neuro-transmitter, which has been isolated in the Cacao bean. Its name comes from the Sanskrit word Ananda, meaning 'bliss' and is so called because when it is released in the brain we feel blissful. Phenylethlamine is also found in Raw Cacao and is one of the 'love' chemicals. Chocolate has always been closely associated with love because it contains Phenylethlamine and Anandamide, however the quantities found in Raw Cacao far exceed amounts in roasted/processed chocolate.

Rich in Anti-Oxidants and High in Magnesium & Sulphur

Cacao is an excellent example of a food that can provide significant health benefits, but in its most processed form provides little if any at all. Chocolate consumption has had a long association with good feeling and as with most things the closer to its natural state the better it is for you.

Cacao nibs provide the perfect amount of carbohydrate to falicate the amino acid tryptophan across the blood brain barrier to produce serotonin. Lack of serotonin is a major factor in depression. Serotonin influences our sleep, appetite, controls our impulses and elevates our mood.

Tryptophan is a natural relaxant, it helps alieviate insomnia by inducing normal sleep, reduces anxiety and depression, helps in the treatment of migraine headaches; helps the immune system; helps reduce the risk of artery and heart spasms; works with lysine in reducing cholesterol levels.

Leucine and isoleucine provide ingredients for the manufacturing of other essential biochemical components in the body, some of which are utilised for the production of energy, stimulates to the upper brain and helping you to be more alert.

Lysine helps in the absorption of calcium from the intestinal tract, the promotion of bone growth and the formation of collagen; aids in the production of antibodies, hormones and enzymes.

Vitc, B3, B2, iron and glutamic acid are needed for Lysines metabolism, all of which are in gojis and cacao. Younger skin, aqequate lysine may help prevent osteoporosis through better absorption and utilisation of calcium, increased immunity.

Cacao nibs and Goji berries together contain all the essential amino acids and therefore make complete proteins. We need a range of all the amino acids within our diet to function efficiently so that we can manufacture the proteins our body needs.

Cacao nibs and Goji berries help to balance blood sugar levels avoiding mood swings and energy lows. Protein is important in the regulation of blood sugar. Ones metabolism may need time to adjust to converting the more complex proteins and fats into energy when changing from a diet high in sugar, caffeine and carbohydrate. Goji berries and Cacao nibs, amongst the other superfoods, provide the ideal alternative, helping ones body return to its natural balance.