Cacao and health

The antioxidants, or more specifically the flavanols, are the components which make raw cacao such a healthy option - in fact it is the highest-known antioxidant available. Visit our about antioxidants page to read more.

Unfortunately, heat - an inevitable part of most of the production stages - destroys over 70% of these antioxidants in standard chocolate ... but not in ours! Acticoa is a process developed to retain 80% of the antioxidants found in the raw cocoa bean.

Visit the Acticoa site to find out more about production .

Antioxidants help rid the body of free radicals – molecules which cause aging and disease. Antioxidants bond to free radicals and so remove them from your body via digestion and other means.

Antioxidant-rich diets have been linked to a lowered risk of heart attacks, stroke, cardiovascular disease, cancer, high blood pressure, cholesterol problems, arthritis, asthma, Alzheimer's and more. So it stands to reason that if chocolate is extremely high in antioxidants, it's actually good for you. Click here to find more information on health studies.

It's true that chocolate also contains fat and sugar. However, when the fat used is cocoa butter, this is composed of both saturated and unsaturated fats. 75% of the fat is in the form of oleic and stearic acids. Diets rich in these acids have been shown to lower cholesterol levels. While 25% of the fat in chocolate is 'the bad kind', the amount of good fat in chocolate seems to counteract the bad fat.

What about the sugar? Well, there is nothing healthy about the added sugar (except to make the end result taste good!). Do remember that our dark chocolate contains 2.9 grams of sugar per serving (31.7 grams per 100 grams). A glass of orange juice contains 26.3 grams and a low-fat fruit yoghurt 21.9 grams. These are both considered 'good for you'.

Chocolate also contains other health-beneficial ingredients such as iron, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, copper and vitamins A, B1, B2, C, D and E.

Studies have shown that the cocoa in chocolate is an ideal carrier and that the nutrients are not broken down in the stomach but are absorbed in the intestine. This is often not the case with artificial food supplements such as vitamin tablets.

So the next time you need a chocolate fix, reach for a Chocacao chocolate - it really is good for you !