Cacao beans are the source of all chocolate, cacao nibs, cacao powder, and cacao butter. Cacao beans were so highly cherished by the Aztecs and Mayans that they were often used as currency.
Foods Alive cacao powder comes from cacao beans that are grown on the island of the Dominican Republic under a dense forest canopy basking in the shade of tropical fruit trees and the Caribbean sun. They are grown in nutrient-rich island soil, which gives it a unique flavor profile that is unlike any other. Each pod of cacao beans is hand-picked and selected only when ripe and mature, providing you with the best possible flavor and nutritional value.
Cacao powder is created by cold-pressing raw, organic cacao beans into a pressed cake separating the oil from the protein and fiber. A high-accuracy thermometer monitors the process, so that the temperature is never allowed to exceed 120° F and is usually 104° F. All other cocoa powders are exposed to temperatures as high as 300° F! The remaining dry cake-like material is then cold-ground and fine-milled so that only the finest, most bio-available raw cacao particles become the finished product. This allows for maximum digestion and antioxidant absorption.
Cacao Powder - Organic
Cacao is incredibly rich in magnesium and is most likely the number one source for this essential mineral. Other essential minerals present in cacao are calcium, zinc, iron, copper, sulfur, magnesium, and potassium. The cacao bean also contains more antioxidant flavanoids than any other food tested including blueberries, red wine, and green tea. In fact, studies have shown cacao to have over twice as many antioxidants as red wine and three times as much as green tea.
Raw cacao contains many chemicals that enhance physical and mental well-being including alkaloids, proteins, magnesium, beta-carotene, leucine, linoleic acid, lipase, lysine. It also contains some neurotransmitters, which are the so-called bliss chemical associated with the feeling of being in love. Raw cacao also contains theobromine which is similar in effect to caffeine.