What’s all this fuss about “ceremonial cacao”?

There’s a little bit of a hype around “ceremonial cacao” globally, which is only just starting to hit down under. But what’s the fuss really all about?

Well! Aside from its rich history of ritualistic, medicinal, and celebratory use, science is starting to unpack some of the reasons why cacao was named ‘the food of the gods’.

Note though - we aren’t talking about cacao powder - which, while undeniably healthy, has been stripped of cacao butter, the carrier far for the highest concentration of bioactive delights. Chocolate has generally also undergone too much processing to yield the same sorts of benefits🍫.

So back to ceremonial cacao:

🫐 cacao is full of antioxidants (by weight it contains forty times more than blueberries)! Antioxidants boost our immune system by preventing cell damage, which in turn protects against heart disease, increases beneficial gut microbes, and helps with disease prevention.

💗 cacao noticeably helps our brains produce dopamine (the “feel-good chemical”, serotonin (the “happy hormone”, anandamide (the “bliss molecule”), and phenylethylamine (the “love drug”).

🥦 cacao is the highest plant-based source of magnesium and iron. Magnesium is chronically deficient in western diets. It helps relax our nervous system, and reduce anxiety levels (among other things).

🥛 cacao contains more calcium than cows milk (!!) Helping build strong bones and support the functioning of the heart, muscles and nervous system.

☕️ unlike caffeine, which is a nervous system stimulant (= Jitters! Anxiety! Mental agitation!) cacao’s remarkable stimulant theobromine acts on the cardiovascular system. It is a vasodilator, meaning it opens up our blood vessels, helping blood flow, relaxing our muscles, and reducing blood pressure. (Beta-blockers, used to treat anxiety, are vasodilators).

We could go on, but instagram won’t let us! Our website has a whole Benefits page dedicated to the science behind cacao.