Transcription
I had some comments on a recent video asking me to cover cacao or cocoa. And this is a very cold food. So, I'm making this video about cacao's history, the bioactive compounds that you find within it, and the effects it can have on the human body. I'll also talk about heavy metals later in the video. That's the main concern that people tend to have with cacao and dark chocolate and things. This isn't medical advice. This is just for informational purposes, and you should always check with your doctor before making changes to your healthcare regimen. Let's get into this video about cacao.
The use of cacao dates back all the way to ancient Mesoamerica. The Olmec civilization, about 1500 BC, are thought to be the first people who domesticated wild cacao because researchers have found traces of theobromine, which is one of the compounds in cacao. They found that within the pottery of, uh, these people in this civilization. So historians think they probably brewed a ceremonial cacao drink for spiritual religious purposes. And this knowledge of brewing cacao drinks was then passed on to the later Maya and Aztec civilizations. Cacao was usually drank cold and flavored with chili and spices. Today, most people think of chocolate as something sweet, maybe bitter. If you have dark chocolate, we don't tend to have a lot of spiced chocolate anymore, although that is still a thing. Some people do still enjoy spicy chocolate, which is closer to the original way of consuming it. Cacao beans, back in the day, they were very, very valuable and actually used as units of currency in trade. The Aztec Emperor Moctezuma II famously used to drink gallons of cacao every day for energy and as an aphrodisiac. This was a very special drink. Spanish conquistadors discovered cacao at the Aztec court and they brought it back to Spain in the early 16th century and it evolved from a bitter spiced drink into a sweet hot chocolate by adding sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. And by the 17th century, you had cacao and hot chocolate spreading all the way across Europe as a luxury for the aristocracy. And in 1828, a Dutch chemist invented a method to press cocoa butter out of roasted cacao, making cocoa powder that could dissolve more easily, making chocolate production cheaper. And the first true chocolate bar was made in England in 1847 by blending together cocoa powder, sugar, and cocoa butter. And most people will be familiar with names like Nestle, Cadbury, Lindt, and Hershey. And these were some of the early adopters and popularizers of chocolate. These days, cacao is grown in tropical regions around the world, especially in West Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. Of course, modern chocolate is often very highly processed and sweetened. But dark chocolate and pure cacao are being more widely recognized as health foods, and that's what this video is about, the health effects of cacao.
Cacao beans contain lots and lots of bioactive compounds that can affect human health. I'll cover a few of them fairly quickly. Theobromine is a methylxanthine alkaloid and it is the main stimulant in cacao. So it stimulates the central nervous system. It dilates your airways. It can boost your mood and alertness without quite the jittery intensity that you can get from caffeine and it causes vasodilation, which is a widening of the blood vessels and that improves blood flow. You'll also find a fairly small amount of caffeine in cacao. Caffeine is another methylxanthine alkaloid like theobromine. Obviously, it's a stronger central nervous system stimulant, but it is found in much smaller amounts. Watch my recent video on coffee if you haven't already, but caffeine obviously increases alertness, focus, and can enhance your physical performance. Epicatechin is a flavonol, a kind of polyphenol. This is a really powerful antioxidant and vasodilator. It stimulates nitric oxide production, which improves endothelial function in the blood vessels and improves blood flow. So epicatechin contributes to cacao's vascular and cognitive benefits. Catechin is another antioxidant flavonol similar to epicatechin. It supports cardiovascular health and can reduce inflammation. There's usually not as much catechin as epicatechin in cacao. Procyanidins are another category of flavonol. These are polymer chains of some of the flavonoids that we just heard about like catechin and epicatechin. They have antioxidant activity and they might have prebiotic effects in the gut, which means that they feed the good bacteria in your gut. And cacao contains other flavonoids like quercetin and luteolin in very small amounts. And together these polyphenols in cacao have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. They scavenge free radicals and they reduce oxidative stress. Another molecule in cacao is phenethylamine, which is a biogenic amine, sometimes called the love chemical. It is related to amphetamines and it can boost your mood and focus in the short term by increasing neurotransmitters like dopamine, but it is broken down very quickly so it probably doesn't have a big impact from chocolate. Cacao also contains anandamide, which is an endocannabinoid neurotransmitter and this binds to cannabinoid receptors in the brain, which makes you feel calm and just generally pleasant. So this might be part of what causes the blissful feeling that you can get with chocolate. Cacao contains tryptophan, which is a precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin that regulates mood. So this could contribute to the mood boost and the relaxation. And lastly, cacao is quite rich in minerals, especially magnesium. And it's also got quite a lot of copper, iron, zinc, potassium, and some others. And you should note that raw unprocessed cacao retains higher levels of these compounds compared to heavily processed cocoa. So if you want the physiological effects, it's generally best to get it raw or minimally processed.
So there are lots of bioactive compounds in cacao and I've told you a bit about what they can do, but now I'm going to go deeper into the physiological effects of cacao. First one is cognitive enhancement and neuroprotection. Recent research is suggesting that cacao flavonols can enhance several aspects of cognitive function like executive function, processing speed, and working memory. And a systematic review showed better cognitive performance and improved blood flow after a serving of cacao. And chronic intake of cacao boosts performance on memory tests and increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). In old people, eating cocoa flavonol seems to slow down cognitive decline and improve mental performance. And most of these cognitive benefits are thought to be caused by both vascular and direct neuronal effects. Flavonols like epicatechin stimulate nitric oxide, which improves blood flow, including in the brain, and increased blood flow through the brain is good for focus and cognitive performance. And beyond the vascular effects, cocoa polyphenols have neuroprotective properties. So they act as antioxidants in the brain, reducing oxidative damage and stress that would normally damage neurons. They can also modulate the signaling pathways that are related to learning and memory, increasing the expression of BDNF and other neurotrophic factors, which support synaptic plasticity and neuronal growth. Plasticity being very important for the learning and memory processes. The brain kind of rewires itself as it learns, creates these new pathways, strengthens pathways, and cacao seems to be good for supporting that. Then you've got the stimulant effect of theobromine and caffeine and the mood-lifting compounds like phenethylamine and anandamide. And all of this means you get a boost in focus and mood, especially during cognitive tasks. Personally, I like to eat some dark chocolate, uh, before or during my work sessions, like researching and writing. 25 grams of high polyphenol dark chocolate every day can even reduce cortisol in the saliva and the urine, which suggests you are having a calmer physiological stress response.
Next is the effects on cardiovascular function, and this is the area that has some of the strongest evidence of the cacao benefits. The flavonols in cacao have been shown in clinical trials to lower blood pressure, improve blood vessel function, and reduce other risk factors for heart disease. Fun story, there's an indigenous group of people in Panama called the Kuna who consume very high amounts of cacao and they have very low rates of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. And it's thought that the cacao contributes to that by keeping their blood vessels healthy. The mechanism by which cacao improves blood flow is very well documented. Like I've said, it's the epicatechin and other flavonoids stimulating nitric oxide production in the blood vessels, which relaxes the smooth muscle in the vessels, causing them to widen. Eating cacao regularly can also improve cholesterol profiles. Uh, the polyphenols in there can reduce LDL oxidation. And if you've done any research into cholesterol, you'll know that oxidation of LDL is really what causes artery plaques. So lowering oxidized LDL is definitely a good thing. And some studies show reductions in triglycerides and insulin resistance with daily dark chocolate intake. So more good signs in terms of cardiovascular health and metabolic health. Cacao can also reduce blood clotting by acting against platelets. So it's similar to aspirin in its blood-thinning effect. And that means eating cacao regularly might reduce your risk of a blood clot. Cacao's flavonoids also reduce inflammation. And inflammation is one of the drivers of plaque buildup in arteries. So cacao is really improving the cardiovascular system from multiple angles, like improving blood flow, reducing LDL oxidation and plaque formation, reducing blood clots, and lowering inflammation.
Let's talk about cacao's effects on exercise performance and recovery. I think this is a little bit overhyped in my opinion. It is not going to be a magical supplement for this. There is some evidence that it could reduce myostatin. Myostatin is a protein that limits muscle growth. So if you reduce myostatin, you kind of pull back the limiter on muscle growth a little bit. But it is just one study. So we can't really conclude much from this. Uh, but there is maybe a potential benefit there. Some people claim that endurance exercise performance or VO2 max is improved by dark chocolate, but that doesn't really seem to be the case. There are one or two studies showing this, but in 2025, there was a meta-analysis of five studies that came out showing that dark chocolate does not improve VO2 max, at least in healthy people. I looked for some studies on whether it helps with exercise recovery, and most again showed it didn't really do much except maybe reducing exercise-induced oxidative stress. So, there's not a whole lot of evidence that cacao is especially good for exercise performance and recovery. So, I wouldn't rely on it for that purpose. It's probably not going to hurt. The increased blood flow, magnesium, and antioxidants could be useful, but there are better options if you're looking for sports supplements. Its main benefits seem to be cognitive performance and blood flow and overall health.
There are also some effects on hormonal health. So, as I said earlier, regular dark chocolate intake can lower cortisol. For example, in one study, people were given dark chocolate before an acute stress and the people who had dark chocolate had a smaller cortisol spike in this stressful situation. So, cacao, dark chocolate, this might be something to add to the toolbox in addition to the cortisol management tools that I told you all about in my last video on cortisol. Testosterone is obviously something that people are always interested in optimizing. Some of my most popular videos have been about testosterone. Pure cacao doesn't seem to increase testosterone, at least directly. By lowering cortisol, it could support testosterone. And cacao's antioxidant and metabolic and cardiovascular benefits are probably not going to harm your testosterone levels. But taking too much of it might affect your hormones. Like very high doses of theobromine or caffeine from like loads of chocolate can increase stress hormones and potentially temporarily lower testosterone. But moderate cacao use is generally a good thing for hormonal health, as well as everything else that I've talked about. And the minerals in cacao like magnesium and zinc are good for testosterone. The flavonoids improve blood flow and probably erectile function and libido. Lots of people use dark chocolate as a kind of aphrodisiac. So that is something to keep in mind if that's something you're interested in. And lastly, I'll just reiterate that cacao is generally anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, which is good for general health and longevity in just about every system of the body, not just the ones that I've talked about. It has a very high ORAC value, even higher than things like blueberries and pomegranates in some cases.
But as ever, it's not all sunshine and rainbows. Let's talk about the potential risks and downsides of cacao. Chocolate is often high in sugar and fat, and if you're consuming a load of it, that can lead to weight gain. If you're really overdoing it, as well as some metabolic issues and cavities in your teeth. So, this video is not encouraging you to go out and eat copious amounts of chocolate. Pure cacao nibs or, uh, minimally processed cocoa powder or high cacao dark chocolate. These have less calories and less added sugar. So, they are generally better and obviously just eat it in moderation. Don't, don't eat like entire packs of these things at once. Cacao contains theobromine and caffeine, which are stimulants. So having a lot of cacao could lead to insomnia, jitteriness, high heart rate, and anxiety, especially if you're sensitive to stimulants. A 20 gram dose of cocoa has about the same caffeine content as a cup of green tea. So that is not insubstantial. If you eat a lot of cocoa, it can cause acid reflux or heartburn. It relaxes the esophageal sphincter, which allows stomach acid to creep up into your esophagus. If you're someone with acid reflux, chocolate is a food that you should avoid. Cacao is also high in oxalates. You've probably heard of oxalates in the context of kidney stones because oxalates bind to calcium and form crystals. For most people, this isn't much of a concern. It's a bit overstated in my opinion. Get plenty of calcium in your diet and you should be fine. And don't eat a ridiculous amount of oxalates. It's pretty uncommon to have a cacao allergy, but it's not impossible. Usually, it's the additives in chocolate, like milk and nuts, that will cause problems for people. People with IBS might also find that chocolate is a gut irritant, so potentially best to avoid or limit it if that's you.
Now, the big one that most people will know about is heavy metal contamination. Heavy metals like cadmium and lead are found in many dark chocolate products and cacao products. A recent report in 2022 found that 23 out of 28 dark chocolate bars contained lead and/or cadmium above the health limits in California if you were to eat 1 ounce or 28 grams a day. Chronic exposure to heavy metals is bad. Lead can affect the nervous system and cognitive development, which is especially bad in children or pregnant women. And cadmium can damage the kidneys and the bones over time. So, heavy metal is a real risk of eating cacao. You can manage this risk by choosing brands that have been proven to have lower levels of heavy metal contamination. I'll go into this more later when I talk about sourcing cacao.
Another important thing to note is that cacao can interact with some drugs. People who are on monoamine oxidase inhibitors or MAOI antidepressants should not eat chocolate because cacao contains tyramine and phenethylamine, which can cause big blood pressure spikes when their breakdown is prevented by MAOI inhibitor drugs. SSRIs and antidepressants are also not a good thing to combine with cacao because cacao can raise serotonin, as I mentioned earlier, and SSRIs reduce the reuptake of serotonin. So your neurons are basically being blasted with loads of serotonin that's not really getting taken up and cleared away, and that can contribute to serotonin syndrome. So if you're on antidepressants, you shouldn't have more than about 20 grams of cacao a day. Cacao can also potentiate stimulant drugs like amphetamines because cacao itself contains stimulants. So it's kind of an additive effect. And people on blood thinners should be careful because cacao can lower blood pressure and reduce clotting and potentially lower your blood pressure too low. And lastly, some populations like pregnant and breastfeeding women shouldn't have too much cacao. It contains caffeine, and pregnant women shouldn't have more than 200 milligrams of caffeine a day to protect the baby. And the heavy metals in chocolate can cross the placenta and affect the baby. So pregnant and nursing women really shouldn't overdo the cacao. Children under two shouldn't have chocolate, and older children should only have small amounts because it can interfere with their cognitive development, like the stimulants and the heavy metals. And people with heart conditions should probably be careful because of the stimulatory effect, which could potentially trigger palpitations in some people. So start with a low dose and really pay attention to how you're responding.
So who would benefit from using cacao? I think definitely people like students and cognitive workers, anyone who needs their mind to be sharp. We know that cacao is pretty good for cognitive performance, focus, and brain health. More generally, potentially people who want to improve their hormones and their sexual health. So, cacao can lower cortisol. And obviously, you have increased blood flow, which is good for reasons that are hopefully obvious to you. Basically, anyone who is interested in optimizing their health. Cacao is antioxidant, anti-inflammatory. It reduces stress. It has a lot of good effects. And maybe athletes could benefit. The research that we have doesn't really show a very strong effect, but it's probably not going to be a bad thing to have better blood flow, some magnesium, and some myostatin inhibition. It's not going to be a magical supplement, but something useful to consider.
So, let's talk about where to get the best quality of cacao for high polyphenol content and low heavy metals. Raw cacao has more antioxidants and enzymes compared to processed cocoa. But raw cacao can also have more microbial contamination if it's not handled correctly, because roasting usually kills most of the bacteria. So if you're getting raw cacao, you need to get it from a manufacturer that tests for pathogens so that it's clean. Cacao is grown in tropical areas where herbicide and pesticide use can be pretty intensive. So, you generally want to avoid exposure to those and get organic cacao instead. Organic means that synthetic pesticides and herbicides haven't been used on the product. And the big one is heavy metal testing. You want to look for brands that explicitly mention heavy metal testing by third parties. Some brands that stand out as being really good for this are Mast, Taza, Ghirardelli, and Valrhona. These have pretty low lead and cadmium levels compared to other brands. Many brands from Latin America, even organic brands, have high cadmium levels because of cadmium in the soil. On the other hand, cacao from West Africa generally has lower cadmium compared to Latin America, just because of the soil content. And lead contamination tends to happen after harvest during processing. So that doesn't necessarily vary regionally just because of the soil, it depends on the processing procedure. When you're choosing cocoa powder, you want to look for words like non-alkalized natural cocoa or brands that explicitly label the flavonol content. Cacao nibs are great because they are the whole food with nothing removed. Get them organic and if they're raw, make sure that it's a reputable brand with proper fermentation and drying and testing and all that. And lastly, freshness and storage of cacao. They can go rancid or lose potency over time. So, better to get them fresh and store them in a cool, airtight container.
So, if I've convinced you to start using cacao or dark chocolate with this video, here are some things you can do to get the most out of it. Use raw or minimally processed cacao. That means raw cacao nibs, natural cocoa powder, cacao paste, or high percentage dark chocolate, like 85% and up. This is what I've always used. Uh, I usually have 90% dark chocolate. I've tried 100%. It's pretty strong. And soon I would like to experiment with the raw nibs. In terms of dosage, it's usually recommended that you get at least 200 milligrams of cocoa flavonol every day. If you want these like health benefits, you can get that amount of flavonol from about 10 to 20 grams of high-quality dark chocolate or a few teaspoons of unprocessed cocoa powder. If you want the workout performance boost, take 5 to 10 grams of cocoa powder 1 hour before training. And for general daily health, you can take it whenever, but generally in the morning or the afternoon because you don't really want the stimulant effect at night. It might interfere with your sleep. There are some other supplements and things that you can take with cacao to kind of synergize. L-theanine can smooth out the stimulant effect if you find that that is quite stimulating, it's making you jittery. Panax ginseng or bacopa can synergize to improve the cognitive enhancement effects. You can combine cacao with curcumin and piperine for a perfect anti-inflammatory combination. And a lot of people will take it with collagen or protein. Cacao enhances blood flow. And when you take it with collagen, that collagen can be delivered to the joints more effectively for your joint health.
That is all I have to say about cacao for now. Tell me what else you know about cacao in the comments and how you incorporate it into your life if you are someone who does that. I know I've got some very knowledgeable guys in my audience, so I'm interested to hear what you have to say. If you enjoyed this video, you'll find a lot of value in my email list. It's free and I send several educational emails every week on subjects like nutrition, training, and hormones. So, go and sign up to that in the description. Thank you for watching and I will see you soon.