Cocoa Benefits: 5 Things You May Not Know
We often hear about the benefits of eating chocolate but do you know what makes it healthy? Hint, it’s all about the cocoa! Here are five benefits you may not know about cocoa and why it pays to be choosy with what you pick. Cocoa is rich in a group of naturally occurring compounds called polyphenols. Polyphenols are known for their anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. While a variety of polyphenols exist in cocoa, the primary polyphenols come from a group called flavanols. It is these polyphenols that are responsible for the health benefits we often attribute to chocolate. What you may not know is that the polyphenol content of cocoa can fluctuate greatly. It largely depends on the type of bean, where it is grown, and other factors like the temperature used in processing or potential use of alkali treatment on the cocoa powder. It has been shown that as much as a three-fold difference can exist in total polyphenol content depending where it is grown. Although 30% of the worlds cocoa is produced in the Ivory Coast, the plants with the highest polyphenols are actually grown in the highlands of Ecuador. Studies show that cocoa helps with the expanding the blood vessels, also called vasodilation. This makes blood move more easily throughout the body. The European Commission has approved the health claim that 200mg of cocoa flavanols from either cocoa beverages or dark chocolate daily helps contribute to normal blood flow.Cocoa supports a healthy gut by promoting the levels of beneficial bacteria. The gut has one of the highest populations of bacteria in the body. Some of these bacteria can be a significant source of inflammation. Cocoa's anti-inflammatory properties help combat this inflammation since most cocoa polyphenols are not absorbable in the blood and end up in the gut.Building on the improved blood properties of cocoa, intervention studies suggest that cocoa benefits the heart by helping to reduce blood pressure, improve vascular function, and help support healthy blood sugar by reducing insulin resistance (1).Since cocoa has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, research suggests this could aid your workouts. Taking cocoa flavanols with exercise has been shown to improve vascular function, reduce exercise-induced oxidative stress and even alter how the body uses carbohydrates and fats during exercise (2). The benefits of cocoa are well researched but before you start thinking about all the places you can add cocoa into your day, here is what you to need to know. Cocoa is naturally rich in the heavy metal cadmium so the higher the concentration of cocoa polyphenols, the higher the amount of cadmium. Why cadmium is dangerous is because it can cause kidney and liver toxicity and inhibits the activity of critical anti-oxidative enzymes (3). This is also why many chocolate products rich in cocoa polyphenols exceed the daily limits for cadmium set by the state of California (3). So how do you get the benefits of cocoa without the cadmium…you look to Dr. Sears. How CacaoRx Came To Be Dr. Sears knew the literature was well documented on the benefits of cocoa for its polyphenol content and improved blood flow properties, but he had to solve for the issue with cadmium. This led him to create a proprietary purification process and ultimately the creation of CacaoRx. The result is the highest concentration of cocoa polyphenols with the lowest levels of cadmium. This is why we post the polyphenol and heavy metal content for each lot of our cocoa polyphenol concentrates so that you can see it meets his incredibly high standards. This purification process then led him to seek regulatory approval so that the cocoa could be used as a food products (a.k.a. Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) status) such as our ZoneRx bars and shakes. Now you can get all the great benefits of cocoa polyphenols without worrying about cadmium, because they were created with Dr. Sears' continuing commitment to product excellence. References: 1. Valeria Ludovici, Jens Barthelmes, Matthias P. Nägele, Frank Enseleit, Claudio Ferri, Andreas J. Flammer, Frank Ruschitzka, Isabella Sudano. Cocoa, Blood Pressure, and Vascular Function. Front Nutr. 2017; 4: 36. Published online 2017 Aug 2. 2. Decroix L, Soares DD, Meeusen R, Heyman E, Tonoli C. Cocoa Flavanol Supplementation and Exercise: A Systematic Review. Sports Med. 2018 Apr;48(4):867-892. 3. Genchi G, Sinicropi MS, Lauria G, Carocci A, Catalano A. The Effects of Cadmium Toxicity. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 May 26;17(11):3782. 4. Labs W. Solving the cadmium in chocolate conundrum. Food Engineering. Nov 9, 2020
From Cacao to CacaoRx
Just like you, we think its important that you know what you’re putting in your body. That’s why at Zone Labs purity and potency rank at the top of our list when creating products along with transparency to our customers. Here's a little infographic to show you how our new CacaoRx gets from tree to capsule and the steps we take to get the purest and most potent product available. You may also like - Chocolate: What You Need to Know
Cocoa Benefits Q and A
Dr. Sears answers some of the top questions we receive about our new Cocoa Polyphenols. Q: What are the health benefits of cocoa? A: The health benefits of cocoa come from the polyphenols it contains. Studies link cocoa consumption to improved cardiovascular health, increased cognition, enhanced blood flow, reduced insulin resistance, anti-aging benefits, and a healthy gut. Q: What is the difference between cacao, cocoa, and chocolate? A: In short, the level of processing defines the difference between cacao, cocoa and chocolate in addition to the amount of polyphenols. Cacao is the name of the tree that chocolate comes from. The cacao tree produces pods which contain cacao beans that can be turned into cocoa and further processed into chocolate. Steps During Processing Cacao beans are sorted, cleaned and dried. The shells are then removed (winnowed) to produce cacao nibs which are roasted to further enhance flavor and aroma. Cacao nibs are then ground into a liquid mass called chocolate liquor (no alcohol here). Chocolate liquor can be made directly into chocolate or further refined through a pressing process to extract the cocoa butter from the cocoa solids. The cocoa solids can be pulverized into cocoa powder, which retain the remaining polyphenol content in dry form. The cocoa butter can then be added back in defined amounts to the chocolate liquor to make various grades of chocolate. The amounts of chocolate liquor, cocoa butter and cocoa solids differentiates the type of chocolate to be made (white, milk, dark). *Note: Before being processed into chocolate, cacao beans go through a fermentation process. This can greatly reduce the polyphenol content in the cacao beans. This is why Zone Labs uses unfermented cacao beans when making our cocoa extract. Q: What is cocoa extract? A: We developed a proprietary cocoa extract using a purification process that allowed us to retain the maximum polyphenol content while minimizing the amount of cadmium, a heavy metal found in all cocoa products. Q: Is there a benefit of using cocoa extract over consuming cacao nibs which are considered the purest form of chocolate? A: In order to gain all the health benefits that come with cocoa polyphenols you need to eat large amounts of cocoa. What most people don’t know is that all cocoa products are contaminated with heavy metals. One of the major considerations when consuming cacao nibs and cocoa powders is that they naturally contain cadmium, a heavy metal associated with kidney toxicity. This means higher intakes of cocoa polyphenols could come with high intakes of cadmium. This is what makes using cocoa extracts like CacaoRx desirable because they’ve been purified to minimize the intake of heavy metals while retaining the maximum amount levels of polyphenols. Q: Does the level of cocoa polyphenols differ with the type of chocolate? A: Yes, generally cacao nibs have the highest levels of polyphenols followed by cocoa powder, dark chocolate, and milk chocolate (very few). White chocolate has no polyphenols. Q: What is CacaoRx? A: CacaoRx is a high purity, high-potency cocoa polyphenol extract. I developed CacaoRx using a process to reduce heavy metals such as cadmium that are commonly found in cocoa products. Q: What is CacaoRx Plus? A: CacaoRx Plus is high purity, high-potency cocoa polyphenol extract combined with our purified maqui extract (MaquiRx). The addition of maqui helps maximize the absorbable amount of polyphenols that enter the bloodstream to bring out the health benefits associated with cocoa. Q: Do CacaoRx and CacaoRx Plus use cacao powder or cocoa powder? A: The starting material for CacaoRx and CacaoRx Plus is our proprietary cocoa powder. Q: Do you test the heavy metal content of your products? A: Yes, all of our products using cocoa are 3rd party tested for purity and potency. Q: Can you bake with CacaoRx or CacoaRx Plus? A: While you could bake with our cacao products, we don’t recommend it because exposing cocoa polyphenols to high heat will destroy some of the polyphenols in the product. Q: Do CacaoRx and CacaoRx Plus contain caffeine? A: The cocoa used in these products is highly purified to remove heavy metals while retaining polyphenol content. There is some caffeine and theobromine but in very low concentrations. Q: Are CacaoRx and CacaoRx Plus safe for children in supplement form? A: We always recommend that prior to starting supplementation individuals consult their physician. All of our cocoa polyphenol products have Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status which means they have undergone an extensive external review of their production and safety so that they can be incorporated into food products. Q: Are CacaoRx and CacaoRx Plus Non-GMO? A: Yes, these are non-GMO. Q: If you use CacaoRx or CacaoRx Plus, do you still need to supplement with polyphenols? A: I recommend individuals consume at least 1,000 mg of polyphenols per day for wellness and about 1,500 mg per day for anti-aging to help with stimulation of AMP kinase*. To get those levels, one would need to eat about 10 servings of non-starchy vegetables and fruits. Reaching those levels with food alone is difficult. Furthermore, many of the sources rich in polyphenols either have pesticide contamination or heavy metal contamination. For example, strawberries and spinach are good sources of polyphenols, but each is often rich in pesticides. Cocoa powder which is the basic component of chocolate products is often rich in the heavy metal cadmium. The cocoa extract we use in CacaoRx and CacaoRx Plus is highly purified and has GRAS status meaning it has passed strict testing to be able to be used in food products. It is the type of polyphenols you consume that makes the most difference. I feel that polyphenol extracts such as those found in CacaoRx and MaquiRx have the most benefits. Maqui berry extract is considered the best of the best as it’s rich in delphinidins and helps support improved blood sugar control, and cocoa extracts like those in CacaoRx help support improved blood flow and the reduction of insulin resistance. Both of these polyphenol extracts have been supported by clinical studies. Q: How many polyphenols come from maqui vs. cocoa in the CacaoRx Plus? A: Each capsule of CacaoRx Plus contains 150 mg of total polyphenols. The majority of the polyphenols come from cocoa and the rest from maqui. The exact amounts we use are proprietary. Cocoa is not highly absorbed which helps to promote the good bacteria in our guts while maqui is a polyphenol known to be more absorbable in the blood. The combination of the two helps to support the hormones in both the gut and the blood. The polyphenols in CacaoRx Plus are 3 times more absorbable compared to CacaoRx.
Chocolate: What You Need to Know
The health benefits of chocolate have been known for more than a thousand years. Studies link its consumption to improved cardiovascular health, increased cognition, enhanced blood flow, and even anti-aging benefits. All good reasons to eat more, right? Before you use this info to justify your intake, learn what gives chocolate its health promoting properties and how the benefits change depending on the type you consume. It’s All About the Cocoa Polyphenols Chocolate is made up of two components: cocoa solids (or powder) and cocoa butter. It is the cocoa powder in chocolate that contains polyphenols known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. While a variety of polyphenols exist in cocoa, the primary polyphenols are called flavanols. It is the polyphenols in chocolate that are responsible for its health promoting properties. Forest to Table: Going From Cacao to Cocoa to Chocolate It’s easy to get confused with all the different descriptors for chocolate from white, milk, dark, to cocoa, cacao, and cacao nibs. Here is a little history on the background of chocolate and how it gets from the forest to consumption. Cacao, pronounced 'ca-cow,' is believed to be a misspelling of 'cocoa' by early English traders.1 Cacao comes from the cacao tree, also known as Theobroma Cacao. Cacao trees grow only in tropical climates and take about five years to become strong enough to produce pods which contain cocoa beans that can be turned into cocoa. The tree flowers the entire year and of the thousands of flowers it may only have 40 or so that turn into cacao pods. After 5-6 months the pods are ready to be harvested. Depending on the region, harvests may take place twice a year. Once the seeds (i.e., cacao beans) have been extracted from the pods, they go through a process called fermentation which takes about 5-7 days and allows the aromatic properties of cacao to develop. Unfortunately, many of the polyphenols are destroyed in this process. From here the beans are laid out and left to dry in the sun for about 6 days before going off to be processed.2 During processing, cacao beans are sorted, cleaned and dried. The shells are then removed (winnowed) to produce cacao nibs which are roasted to further enhance flavor and aroma 3. These are then ground into a liquid mass called chocolate liquor (no alcohol here). Chocolate liquor can be made directly into chocolate or further refined through a pressing process to extract the cocoa butter from the cocoa solids 2,3. The cocoa solids can be pulverized into cocoa powder, which retain the polyphenol content in dry form.3 The cocoa butter can then be added back to the chocolate liquor to make chocolate. The amounts of chocolate liquor, cocoa butter and cocoa solids differentiates the type of chocolate to be made 2. Factors Impacting Total Polyphenol Content Fermentation of the cacao bean comes with a significant loss of the polyphenol content, and a corresponding reduction of its considerable health benefits. The type of bean, where it is grown, and other factors like temperature, and potentially further alkali treatment of the cocoa powder, all play a role in determining the levels polyphenols in the final product4. Alkalization is the process of adding potassium carbonate to the cocoa powder to reduce the levels of polyphenols to improve the taste, also known as “Dutch refining.” The more treated the cocoa powder, the greater the loss of polyphenols. In addition to processing, the levels of polyphenols in cacao beans are highly dependent upon country of origin. It has been shown that a three-fold difference can exist in the range of total polyphenol content pending where the cacao trees are grown.4 Despite 30% of the worlds’ cacao being produced in the Ivory Coast, the raw cacao plants with the highest levels of polyphenols are actually grown in the highlands of Ecuador.5 Have You Seen Our New Cocoa Polyphenols? Learn More What to Know Before Eating Chocolate Not all chocolate is created equal. Some have a taste for sweet chocolate (either white or milk chocolate) that's high in fat and sugar. Others prefer a more bitter chocolate (such as dark chocolate) with a stronger and more sharp taste. Dark chocolate is high in cocoa solids (powder) and contains the highest levels of polyphenols of any chocolate. The inclusion of milk as an ingredient differentiates milk chocolate from dark chocolate. Pure white chocolate is 100% cocoa butter, essentially pure fat. While it may melt and your mouth, it’s devoid of any cocoa polyphenols. Manufacturers add more ingredients like milk and sugar to make chocolate more appealing. As those extra ingredients pile up, the percentage of “cocoa” in the final product goes down. The typical chocolate candy bar has about 10% “cocoa” and is high in sugar and saturated fat. While higher in cocoa polyphenols, consuming dark chocolate on a regular basis isn’t the most ideal. Some varieties contain 7 grams of saturated fat, supplying more than 35% of your daily intake, as well as a lot of sugar to increase the hedonic response (i.e., make it taste better). Furthermore there is virtually no protein to help stabilize blood sugar levels, which negates many of the health benefits of the remaining cocoa polyphenols. Top 4 Chocolates with the Most Polyphenols: #1: Cacao Nibs Nibs are considered chocolate in its purest form as they are simply crushed cacao beans. They are rich in polyphenols, fat, minerals (including the heavy metal, cadmium) and fiber and have a crunch like chocolate chips without the added sugar. #2: Cocoa Powder Once the fat is removed from the cacao nibs and minimally processed into ground cocoa powder, it is higher in polyphenols on a per gram basis. This also makes it richer in naturally occurring heavy metals requiring you to limit the amount you consume. #3: Dark Chocolate Primarily made up of cocoa powder, cocoa butter and added sugar this not-so-naughty treat provides adequate amounts of polyphenols. Moderation is still key here with the fat and mineral content. #4: Milk Chocolate The addition of milk and greater amounts of sugar significantly dilute the levels of polyphenols making this a not-so-great choice. The bright side is that compared the other choices its lower in naturally occurring metals. Worst Chocolate for Polyphenols: White Chocolate Zero, zilch, nada. Not a single cocoa polyphenol in this full fat, sugar rich, cocoa butter treat. Why Zone Cocoa Polyphenols To reap the health benefits that come with cocoa polyphenols requires higher levels of consumption. One of the major considerations when consuming cacao nibs and cocoa powders is that they naturally contain cadmium, a heavy metal. The problem is that higher intakes of cocoa polyphenols may come with high intakes of heavy metals. What makes Zone cocoa polyphenols different is the processing innovation we’ve developed to increase the amount of polyphenols we can supply in a serving without the heavy metal contamination regularly found in cocoa products. We developed a proprietary cocoa extract using a unique purification process that allowed us to retain the maximum polyphenol content while minimizing the level of heavy metals. This process takes place once the cocoa powder is produced from the chocolate liquor. Our extraction technique led to the creation of our food products (ZoneRx bars and shakes) as well as our supplements (CacaoRx and CacaoRx Plus) allowing individuals to gain the greatest benefits of cocoa in a high purity, high potency format. A New Health Benefit of Cocoa – Improved Gut Health One of the newer areas of emerging research is the role of cocoa polyphenols in gut health. The gut has one of the highest population of microbes (anything too small to be seen by the human eye like bacteria and viruses). Some of these microbes can be a significant source of inflammation, which can impact both the blood and the brain. Due to their anti-inflammatory properties, it is likely that many of the health benefits of cocoa polyphenols come from their ability to improve gut health. The more cocoa polyphenols you consume, the healthier your gut becomes. This is why knowing what’s in your chocolate not only impacts gut health, but the rest of your body too. Have You Seen Our New Cocoa Polyphenols? {{cta('2f194057-2ce0-471a-be48-51acef2499e7','justifycenter')}} References: Lebovitz, David. The Great Book of Chocolate: The Chocolate Lover's Guide, with Recipes. Berkeley: Ten Speed, 2004. Print. From cocoa to chocolate. Available at:https://www.barry-callebaut.com/en-US/group/cocoa-chocolate-expertise/cocoa-chocolate. Accessed: February 6, 2020. Processing Cocoa. Available at: https://www.icco.org/about-cocoa/processing-cocoa.html. Accessed: February 6, 2020. Coffee and Cocoa. Available at: http://phenol-explorer.eu/reports/43. February 6, 2020. Top 10 Cocoa Producing Countries. World Atlas. http://www.worldatlas.com/articles/top-10-cocoa-producing-countries.html.
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