Cacao: Not As Good As Youve Been Lead To Believe. by Paul Nison
The latest and greatest so-called super food being promoted in the raw food world is raw chocolate, also known as cacao. I myself was excited when I first heard about it. But after trying it, I didn't feel that great. I asked others how they felt after consuming cacao and there were no complaints. That was then. After a few months, I started to get more and more complaints from people who were taking cacao. It didn't surprise me because chocolate in general is not good for us. Other than the enzyme issue, why would raw cacao be so healthy for us? ... See More
That is when I decided to do research and I found some scary facts. Whats even scarier is that people are so addicted to it, that even after learning of the high possibility of harmful effects, they keep consuming it. What concerns me the most is the amount people are eating. If someone took a pinch, lets say once a week, then maybe they wouldn't have to worry. When I see people being lead to believe that there are many health benefits to consuming tablespoons every day; that is just crazy!
If you are eating a raw food diet because you want to find a natural toxin that will make you feel high, then you have found a good product. Beware, because there are many downsides to it. If you are eating a raw diet for health benefits, consuming chocolate in any form should be off your list and out of your mind.
In one of the best overall raw guides ever written Diet by Design: Fruits, Nuts and Natural Foods (available at
www.rawlife.com) it says the following about cacao:
Chocolate and cacao are outright health hazards due to the chemicals, contaminants, and additives they contain. The chemicals within chocolate are called methylxanthines. They can be further classified as theobromine, caffeine, and theophylline, all of which have deleterious effects on the body. Theobromine is known to cause a host of symptoms including abnormal glandular growth, nervousness, depression, anxiety, insomnia, gastrointestinal problems, and itching. Caffeine is highly suspected of being a carcinogen, and is directly linked to heart and circulatory problems, glandular difficulties, nervous disorders, osteoporosis, birthing abnormalities, and so forth. Theophylline causes stomach problems, nausea, vomiting, and nervous disorders.
The processing of cacao beans into powder and chocolate is an unsanitary, risky procedure to say the least. To be blunt-chocolate and cacao are laced with animal feces and hair, insects, and molds. The carcinogenic mold called aflatoxin has been found in large quantities on cacao beans.
Allowable limits have been set by the FDA regarding rodent feces and insect parts in chocolate and cocoa! As quoted from Poison With a Capital C, every time you eat a chocolate bar, it may contain a rodent hair and 16 insect parts and still carry the blessing of the FDA., and For chocolate powder or cakes there must not be more than 75 insect fragments in three tablespoons of powder., and Four percent of cacao beans may be infested by insects. Animal excreta (such as visible rat droppings) must not exceed 10 milligrams per pound.
Now, after learning this information, people will still continue to indulge, making excuses to keep eating it. Please note I have no reason to write this information, other than to make you aware of the truth. In fact, I would make a lot of money if I sold raw chocolate and products that contain it. But I just cant do that, knowing the truth.
I give lectures all over the world, mostly in the United Stated. I have already giving over 100 lectures this year alone. Just about every lecture I give, I have someone come up to me telling me that they experienced one or more of the symptoms above after consuming cacao. Now if you are eating cacao and have not had symptoms, that doesnt mean its okay for you. Its just a matter of time, so why not stop now.
It is my passion and my goal to get information about health to as many people as possible. What you do with that information is your own personal choice.
Author