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The botanical name of the cacao tree is Theobroma – meaning “Food of the Goods”. This ancient super-food gave Aztec, Mayan and Inca warriors the muscle boost advantage that could define the outcome of a battle.
Cacao powder contains a great amount of Magnesium, Calcium, Phosphorus, antioxidants and a natural stimulant similar to caffeine called Theobromine. Read more to find out why this sacred food is so important for our modern diet.
From Cacao Tree to Cacao Bean
The Cacao Tree is part of a wonderful ecosystem. It requires the shade of typically large native trees and in turn keeps the soil humid and rich in nutrients. It is a perfect balance between the amount of sun that the large trees offer (shade) and the contribution of the smaller cacao trees to maintain a healthy soil.
The cacao beans are extracted from the inside of the Cacao fruit (pod) which contains both the beans (seeds) and a white sweet pulp. The beans are separated from the pulp and left to ferment for 3-5 days in wooden containers. After fermentation, the beans are sun dried. When the beans are dried and have reached a perfect flavor state they are ready to be shelled (husked).
Incredible Benefits of Cacao
Maretai Organics supplies bulk organic cacao powder of with a beautiful cacao aroma and exceptional silkiness. Maretai Organics obtains this product from single-origin Criollo beans grown organically from the Tarapoto region in Peru. Growers of this cacao are certified UTZ.
To obtain the cacao powder, the cacao bean must first be ground to produce Cacao Paste (also known as cacao liquor). After it cools down, the Cacao Paste becomes solid and has the appearance and taste of rich dark and hard chocolate.
Cacao Paste has the same nutritional value as Cacao Nibs (it is the same product but ground into a paste). Cacao paste contains approximately 50% of cacao butter.
Cacao Cake to Cacao Powder
After passing the cacao paste through the pressing process that extracts the Cacao Butter, we are left with the remaining solids. These compressed solids are called Cacao Cake because it looks like a compressed disk.
These pressed solids are then pulverized to form natural, non-alkalized Cacao Powder. Cacao Powder then, contains the solids that were separated from the Butter, it is rich in antioxidants, minerals and beautiful Cacao aroma. The pulverized cacao solids become Cacao Powder and retain a certain percentage of cacao butter. The most used cacao powder contains 10-12% of cacao butter (fat).
Below we have highlighted a few amazing benefits of consuming cacao powder:
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Antioxidants and flavonoids
Cacao powder is loaded with a wide range of flavonoids that belong to the polyphenol antioxidants family. They provide incredible benefits to your body while handling the functioning of the cardiovascular system. As a result, studies have shown that the risks of stroke, asthma and heart disease can be reduced. The rich antioxidant content is a very positive aspect that may help to improve cell functions.
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Perfect antidepressant
For those who spend very hectic time at the office, cacao powder can work as the best antidepressant. The organic form of cacao powder can improve the happy hormones in your body while elevating your mood. The phenylethylamine content in the cacao powder works as a natural anti-depressant for the human brain. That is why most of the people love to have a chocolate bar on their down day.
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Improve brain health
The flavanols present in the cacao can help you to receive desired nitricoxide content that is further useful to relax blood vessels. It works for improving blood supply to the brain area so that neurons can function well. Cacao is the best solution to improve brain power while working as a nutrition-rich diet for your body.
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Weight Control
When you are looking for something healthy to control your body weight, organic cacao powder can be a great option. It is capable to manage your appetite while regulating energy usage. Controlling inflammation and increasing fat oxidation levels will be a great plus.
All these amazing health benefits make cacao powder the best solution for your routine needs. Other than this, the cacao powder you ingest, provides support to bones, and the magnesium content helps to control body reactions.
Maretai Organics has two bulk packing presentations including 5kg and 25kg.
We hope this information was useful.
Healthy chocolate drink – cacao powder with hot water – may be sweetened with agave syrup, coconut sugar, or served bitter.