Ploeg Joshua - Superfoods for Life, Cacao

Cacao has an insanely high phytochemical and antioxidant content. These naturally occurring chemical compounds are the future of nutrition, disease prevention, and good health. Cacao is loaded with them. Youll learn more about this in .

Its nutrient dense. Cacao is full of minerals, fiber, and healthy dietary fat. These nutrients in combination with the phytochemicals may help lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, and more. We discuss the research in .

It makes you happy. Chocolate may be the most craved food in the world. Its full of (good!) chemicals that affect our brain and our mood. We discuss this in . How super is that?

Its a great accompaniment to physical activity. In , we discuss how soldiers, hikers, and others with serious physical demands have long used chocolate in times of great nutritional need. Today, its popular in drinks and other workout foods during and after exercise because of its caloric density and antioxidant content.

Chocolate is a high-quality food with subtle tastes, like good coffee or wine. In the appendix, we discuss the various types of chocolate available and their distinctions and classifications. Organic? Raw? Fair trade? Weve got your preferences covered.

Its extremely versatile. From QuinoaChocolate Chip Energy Bars () cacao can be added to any nutrition plan.

Its commonplace and accessible. Most everyone is familiar with chocolate and enjoys the taste. Although some work may be required to find high-quality cacao and chocolate, it is available more readily than most people realize.

You only need to consume a small amount to get the benefits. Most of the research on cacao is done using cocoa powdera low-calorie, nutrient-dense powder that, as youll learn in this book, can be added to a plethora of foods and dishes.

Milk Chocolate Is Not the Healthiest Way to Get Your Cacao

Milk chocolate, the most commonly eaten chocolate in the United States, contains very little cacao, often less than 10 percent. Instead, the majority of what you are eating are added sweeteners, dairy products, and other less healthful, refined ingredients.

The health benefits weve discussed in this book are specific to cacao; therefore, milk chocolate may not be the best way to get the benefits. Its important to read the label and to know how much cacao and other added ingredients are in what you are eating. If you are used to milk chocolate, start with the highest cacao percentage you enjoy and work your way toward darker, higher-cacao chocolate. If the cacao percentage is not offered on the label, see how high up and how often it is mentioned in the ingredients. Ideally, there is more cacao per weight than sugar or dairy products, and it will therefore appear higher on the ingredient label.

Additionally, milk may contain GMOs in the form of recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH). This is a genetically engineered variation on a naturally occurring hormone injected into dairy cows to increase milk production. It is banned for human consumption in the European Union, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. Non-GMO certified and organic milks and milk chocolates do not contain rBGH.