Today we’re going to give you 5 reasons to celebrate your love for cacao! Or, if you’re not already a cacao lover, why you may want to become one 😉
By the end of this article, you might even be waving goodbye to your coffee and enjoying cacao with even more joy knowing that you’re gifting your body with health.
What sets cacao and coffee apart are their main stimulants: coffee offers caffeine, while cacao offers theobromine, and though they are similar compounds, how they function in the body is vastly different. Note: cacao also contains some caffeine, but theobromine is by far the dominant effect and the many other compounds in cacao moderate the caffeine that is present.
5 Reasons Cacao Can Be More Beneficial Than Caffeine
- While caffeine is known to give energy, it can also wreak havoc on your body when drunk consistently. It is fast acting, and can be quite intense for those with more sensitive nervous systems. Theobromine is gentler and mild, and is longer lasting, meaning it can keep you feeling energized for longer periods of time. No spikes, and no crashes with cacao!
- One of the things that sets theobromine and caffeine apart is that caffeine stimulates the nervous system and theobromine stimulates the cardiovascular system. Caffeine has already been shown to have addictive properties which can lead to physical dependence (remember those headaches you get when you don’t drink your daily coffee?) On the other hand, theobromine has not been found to have any addictive properties! The misconception that chocolate is addictive typically comes from people who consume processed chocolate that has sugar in it, which is quite addictive.
- Theobromine can help you maintain a healthy heart. Through a combination of vasodilation and cardiac stimulation, Theobromine increases blood flow in the body by 30-40%, can help lower blood pressure, and can protect from cardiovascular disease. By contrast, though caffeine can improve alertness, it is known to increase blood pressure.
- Theobromine has been studied as an alternative to fluoride! Research actually now suggests that theobromine can protect tooth enamel from erosion and can strengthen teeth overall since it remineralizes the body. Of course, that’s for cacao without sugar because sugar counteracts this effect.
- This benefit may come as a surprise, but theobromine helps relax the airways in the lungs, leading to improved oxygenation! Research now suggests that theobromine can be an effective cough suppressant and can be useful for managing asthma symptoms.
This list could really go on and on, but these are our top 5. We love that with cacao, there’s always more to learn and discover. One thing we know for sure though is that when we drink our cup of cacao, we are gifting our body with health and vitality.
Our Cacao Picks
Glowing Guatemala Pure 100% Ceremonial Cacao
