Cacao vs. Cocoa: Which One is Healthier

Many with a sweet tooth have started making a switch over to dark chocolate while trying to stay healthy. This "superfood" has become a popular treat enjoyed by many within the health community. Add it to your diet and reap all of the amazing benefits it brings!

I'm an advocate of a little bit of dark chocolate. I love the stuff! But I do have to be honest: while I do believe there to be benefits, I think there's a cause for caution too.

The Difference Between Cacao and Cocoa

Not all chocolate is created equal. Cacao is made by fermenting the beans at a low temperature. It's still considered raw, has a lighter colour, and preserves the majority of the antioxidants.

People often tend to view cacao as the healthier option since cocoa involves processing at a higher heat causing some of the polyphenols and flavanols to be lost in the process (pardon the pun!)

The antioxidants, rich in cacao, are believed to have the following benefits to us:

• Better hearth health
• Prevention of disease
• Anti-inflammatory properties
• Improved circulation

Is Cacao Really More Nutritious?

There's more to the story about the difference between these two types of chocolates besides fermentation and antioxidants. One problem that comes with maintaining the antioxidants is that compounds which are potentially harmful can remain to a greater level too.

Let's take oxalates for example. Oxalates are referred to as an anti-nutrient because they bind to minerals and block their absorption. Oxalates have a particularly high attraction to iron, calcium, magnesium, and zinc.

Cacao has even higher levels of oxalates. So while it contains more iron, calcium, magnesium, and zinc than cocoa, more of these minerals will be lost. Essentially, the benefits of added nutrition may also be reduced due to the effect of the oxalates.

Chocolate contains other compounds that bind to minerals, such as phytates, which have a similar effect to oxalates. Tannins, which you'll also find in tea, chelates with iron and can cause us to run into some chronic fatigue issues. Again, the level of these will be higher in cacao than cocoa which calls to question: is cacao really better for us?

What About Antioxidants

Now also, the antioxidants found in chocolate might always be essential in every content and situation. Let's explore this one further.

I think it's safe to say that flavanols and polyphenols do have health benefits. Research clearly backs this. But does every single person need them regardless of how they diet?

Take a person on a high-fat, ketogenic diet for instance. It's shown that ketosis increases glutathione, our body's own natural antioxidant system. This means that the same person likely has more glutathione being produced when they are in ketosis than when they aren't. Fasting is another way to induce ketosis and boost glutathione.

If you increase your glutathione levels through ketosis, perhaps you need fewer antioxidants coming from other sources (for example from chocolate). If your baseline level of glutathione is lower, perhaps you're at an increased need for additional antioxidants. Would cacao actually provide more then for the person in ketosis over cocoa? I think that's a question for consideration.

In addition, if you consume a diet with fewer anti-nutrients, such as phytates and oxalates, then maybe you require less protection in the way of antioxidants. But when our anti-nutrient intake is higher, we'll likely need more antioxidants.

The two are a package deal with chocolate and so cacao has more antioxidants and anti-nutrients than you'll find in chocolate made from cocoa. Consume less anti-nutrients and you might need less antioxidants, especially in the context of ketosis.

Take Home Tips For Chocolate

So, in a roundabout way, I've tried to explain the rationale behind why I opt for bars with cocoa over cacao when buying dark chocolate. (I think it will be better to apply the same if you enjoy a real cup of healthy hot chocolate too!)

I believe it's best also to keep your chocolate bar at 70% cocoa. I question whether the higher percentage kind is always the best choice, on account of the oxalates and other anti-nutrients.

Still, enjoy some chocolate with cacao. But perhaps, try and do so sparingly.