Do you love chocolate? Do you love tea? Then some organic cacao tea might be in order!
Besides enjoying the flavor and aroma of warm chocolate, cacao tea also has a number of health benefits that help boost energy, mood and more.
1. Cacao Tea = A No-Guilt Chocolate Experience
Love chocolate? Me too, but milk chocolate is loaded with sugar and calories that spike my insulin levels and make my PCOS symptoms worse. I also looovvvee coffee, but coffee has a lot of caffeine in it that can keep me up at night if I drink it too late.
So if you’re a coffee-loving choc-o-holic like me and looking for a healthy chocolate/coffee alternative, cacao tea is here for the win! The cacao husks smell of delicious chocolate and the tea itself tastes like a dark chocolate bar in liquid form.
2. Cacao is Rich in Antioxidants and Flavonoids
Studies have shown that cacao husks are rich in antioxidants and flavonoids. Flavonoids are special antioxidant compounds that help fight cell-damaging free radicals. Flavonoids can also help prevent clogged arteries, promote healthy blood flow and improve cognitive function and have been linked to reduced risk of cancer, heart disease, asthma, stroke and cardiovascular disease.
Studies have shown that cacao has the greatest concentration of flavonoids in almost any food that we eat, greater even than tea and wine.
3. Cacao Provides a Delicate Energy Boost
Drinking cacao tea can provide a mild boost in energy and increased mental focus without the hand-shaking stimulation of caffeine.
Studies have shown that cacao husks have a high concentration of a natural substance called theobromine, which is a bio-active compound that helps keep the brain and heart active and stimulated.
Theobromine is a natural stimulant with a gentle slow-release effect and cacao tea drinkers enjoy increased brain stimulation, concentration and interest in study activities (and where was this tea when I was in university???).
Cacao tea can also improve performance with mental tasks and contributes to reduced mental fatigue.
4. Cacao Lowers Blood Pressure
Cacao husks are rich in theobromine, which helps reduce blood pressure by widening the blood vessels. In fact, studies have shown that small amounts of theobromine significantly lowered the blood pressure of patients within only one hour of consumption. In another study, theobromine-rich cacao caused a lasting decrease in blood pressure when administered over a three-week period.
5. Cacao has Mood Enhancing Properties
Cacao husks are rich in flavonoids, which scientists have discovered have memory and mood-enhancing properties, while theobromine works as a muscle relaxant.
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Have you tried cacao tea yet?
