You know we just love our polyphenols. Among other health benefits they act as a fertiliser for our microbes and support immune health. Cacao is one such polyphenol. Pure cacao has very high amounts of flavonoids and its scientific name theobroma cacao literally means “food of the gods”. We certainly think so.
It’s no coincidence that cacao actually boosts the body’s production of serotonin , the feel good hormone. Another messenger molecule called anandamide is also present in cacao and has been dubbed the ‘bliss chemical’. No arguments there.
A recent meta-analysis of 8 randomized controlled trials of 433 type 2 diabetics focused on the effect of cacao or dark chocolate on cardiovascular risk. The primary outcomes were improvements in lipids, fasting glucose and blood pressure. The trials lasted from 2 to 12 weeks with cacao doses ranging from 1 to 45 grams.
45 grams would be a stretch in a normal setting but you can obtain 1g by eating about 30 grams of cocoa powder or 40 grams of dark chocolate with a 75% cocoa content per day. This shouldn’t be any great hardship! Milk or white chocolate are not good sources of polyphenols and will have higher amounts of sugar also so, no bueno unfortunately.
As always, we got you. Make this healthy, naturally sweet chocolate ‘ice cream’ with a few simple ingredients. With the weather we are having at the moment there couldn’t be a better time to make it!
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