Chocolate, according to numerous research studies, has been shown to perform very powerful heart protective effects as well as increasing various aspects of neurological function. Still, there are many people in the health community who suggest that chocolate is actually toxic and should not be consumed. What is the overall reason for these contradicting viewpoints?
1. Chocolate and it's effect on health for one person might be different for another person. If someone is eating a typical diet that includes almost anything, eating dark chocolate will likely improve their overall health. Though, this is not definite. For someone who eats a very health oriented diet, raw or otherwise, dark chocolate or even raw cacao might actually cause unwanted health effects. This is partially because chocolate in most forms is at least somewhat stimulating and the theobromine/caffiene might seem detrimental to their wellbeing if they are used to eating non-stimulating foods. For example, someone who only eats raw food and does not include foods that contain medicinal qualities might be thrown off by the effect of chocolate. They also truly might not need it and eating excess unecessary foods might be less than health promoting for them. Still, this doesn't undermine chocolate's ability to help increase many people's health. This is especially true for people that want to work on issues related to stress or other aspects that chocolate has been associated with helping with. Though the stimulating effects might be somewhat detrimental and throw a very healthy person off balance, it can be a key transformative addition to someone's diet who already drinks coffee etc. The studies that show the various benefits of chocolate appear to validate this.
2. All chocolate or cacao is not processed the same way. For some people, all cooked chocolate produces stimulating effects, yet they are fine with raw cacao. For others, raw cacao is ok with them as long as it is processed in a certain way. For some people, cacao in all forms appears to not work. In my experience, dark chocolate does have very powerful benefits and nutrition but it is somewhat stimulating which can leave you feeling depleted sometimes. Some raw cacao is very much the same way, as it is either potentially contaminated with microbes due to the processing method or contains more caffiene-like substances due to processing methods and shell-debri. According to some people who are very well aquainted with cacao, both of these can produce caffiene-like effects. With high quality raw cacao that is processed in a way that leaves it without either of those issues, there is much less stimulation but very powerful nutrition effects that can be felt quickly. I've found certain brands to be better than others in this regard. Therefore, the negative effects that are associated with cacao can be from cacao that is not processed in a way that limits microbes and shell-debri (which is associated with higher caffiene levels). In addition, according to David Wolfe and other cacao supporters like David Favor, raw caffiene is much different than cooked caffiene. While cooked caffiene has various negative effects associated with it, sources of raw caffiene, whien they have been correctly processed, often produce more more beneficial responses.
3. Many people who dislike cacao and suggest that it is toxic are not very much into herbalism and the idea of wild foods. With the viewpoint that anything with alkaloids or medicinal qualities are bad, we are left with foods that are sometimes less impactful, but simpler, in their nutritional profile. These include the typical fruits and vegetables that many people promote as the base of the diet in the raw food community. That's not necessarily bad, as many people likely do very well with this approach. However, some people don't respond as well to a somewhat limited way of eating and do better adding in foods which contain certain qualities that add more balance, which are often lacking in typical fruits and vegetables. Therefore, a food like cacao, which contains various interesting qualities that differentiate it from many fruits and vegetables, can be a helpful addition to certain peoples diets who require more balance in certain areas.
Therefore, if you feel a calling toward chocolate, especially if you are not on a very strict diet, it can potentially be very beneficial for you. As always, choose the best quality you can.
For extensive information about raw chocolate, I'd recommend checking out the work of David Wolfe. David Favor, of Radical Health, also shares interesting information and viewpoints about cacao.
1. Chocolate and it's effect on health for one person might be different for another person. If someone is eating a typical diet that includes almost anything, eating dark chocolate will likely improve their overall health. Though, this is not definite. For someone who eats a very health oriented diet, raw or otherwise, dark chocolate or even raw cacao might actually cause unwanted health effects. This is partially because chocolate in most forms is at least somewhat stimulating and the theobromine/caffiene might seem detrimental to their wellbeing if they are used to eating non-stimulating foods. For example, someone who only eats raw food and does not include foods that contain medicinal qualities might be thrown off by the effect of chocolate. They also truly might not need it and eating excess unecessary foods might be less than health promoting for them. Still, this doesn't undermine chocolate's ability to help increase many people's health. This is especially true for people that want to work on issues related to stress or other aspects that chocolate has been associated with helping with. Though the stimulating effects might be somewhat detrimental and throw a very healthy person off balance, it can be a key transformative addition to someone's diet who already drinks coffee etc. The studies that show the various benefits of chocolate appear to validate this.
2. All chocolate or cacao is not processed the same way. For some people, all cooked chocolate produces stimulating effects, yet they are fine with raw cacao. For others, raw cacao is ok with them as long as it is processed in a certain way. For some people, cacao in all forms appears to not work. In my experience, dark chocolate does have very powerful benefits and nutrition but it is somewhat stimulating which can leave you feeling depleted sometimes. Some raw cacao is very much the same way, as it is either potentially contaminated with microbes due to the processing method or contains more caffiene-like substances due to processing methods and shell-debri. According to some people who are very well aquainted with cacao, both of these can produce caffiene-like effects. With high quality raw cacao that is processed in a way that leaves it without either of those issues, there is much less stimulation but very powerful nutrition effects that can be felt quickly. I've found certain brands to be better than others in this regard. Therefore, the negative effects that are associated with cacao can be from cacao that is not processed in a way that limits microbes and shell-debri (which is associated with higher caffiene levels). In addition, according to David Wolfe and other cacao supporters like David Favor, raw caffiene is much different than cooked caffiene. While cooked caffiene has various negative effects associated with it, sources of raw caffiene, whien they have been correctly processed, often produce more more beneficial responses.
3. Many people who dislike cacao and suggest that it is toxic are not very much into herbalism and the idea of wild foods. With the viewpoint that anything with alkaloids or medicinal qualities are bad, we are left with foods that are sometimes less impactful, but simpler, in their nutritional profile. These include the typical fruits and vegetables that many people promote as the base of the diet in the raw food community. That's not necessarily bad, as many people likely do very well with this approach. However, some people don't respond as well to a somewhat limited way of eating and do better adding in foods which contain certain qualities that add more balance, which are often lacking in typical fruits and vegetables. Therefore, a food like cacao, which contains various interesting qualities that differentiate it from many fruits and vegetables, can be a helpful addition to certain peoples diets who require more balance in certain areas.
Therefore, if you feel a calling toward chocolate, especially if you are not on a very strict diet, it can potentially be very beneficial for you. As always, choose the best quality you can.
For extensive information about raw chocolate, I'd recommend checking out the work of David Wolfe. David Favor, of Radical Health, also shares interesting information and viewpoints about cacao.
RSS Feed
