One of the key aspects of Wholefood Earth’s Organic Cocoa Powder is its high antioxidant and antidepressant properties. It’s not just a baking ingredient; it’s a superfood with health benefits ranging from improved blood flow and reduced risk of blood clots to lower LDL cholesterol levels and enhanced cognitive performance. The cocoa powder also boasts more than 700 protective compounds, including numerous antioxidants and minerals, which help boost the immune system and contribute to heart health. When the pods are ripe, they are cut from the trees by hand using a large knife, taking care not to damage any buds or flowers near the fruit.

Sansone, R.; Ottaviani, J.I.; Rodriguez-Mateos, A.; Heinen, Y.; Noske, D.; Spencer, J.P.; Crozier, A.; Merx, M.W.; Kelm, M.; Schroeter, H.; et al. Methylxanthines enhance the effects of cocoa flavanols on cardiovascular function: Randomized, double-masked controlled studies. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2017, 105, 352–360. [ Google Scholar] [ CrossRef]Steptoe, A.; Hamer, M.; Chida, Y. The effects of acute psychological stress on circulating inflammatory factors in humans: A review and meta-analysis. Brain Behav. Immun. 2007, 21, 901–912. [ Google Scholar] [ CrossRef]

Spieker, L.E.; Hürlimann, D.; Ruschitzka, F.; Corti, R.; Enseleit, F.; Shaw, S.; Hayoz, D.; Deanfield, J.E.; Lüscher, T.F.; Noll, G. Mental Stress Induces Prolonged Endothelial Dysfunction via Endothelin-A Receptors. Circulation 2002, 105, 2817–2820. [ Google Scholar] [ CrossRef] [ PubMed][ Green Version] The pods are then collected and split open by hand to reveal rows of cocoa beans covered in a white pulp. The pulp is gently removed and then the beans are fermented, dried and cleaned before processing. Ramirez-Sanchez, I.; Maya, L.; Ceballos, G.; Villarreal, F. (−)-Epicatechin Activation of Endothelial Cell Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase, Nitric Oxide, and Related Signaling Pathways. Hypertension 2010, 55, 1398–1405. [ Google Scholar] [ CrossRef] Firstly, let’s talk about the type of cocoa powder. You’ll find two main types in the market: natural and Dutch-processed. My personal preference leans towards the natural variety, given its acidic and slightly bitter taste, which delivers a rich, deep chocolate flavour. Dutch-processed cocoa powder has a neutral pH, resulting in a milder, smoother flavour. Jambrik, Z.; Sebastiani, L.; Picano, E.; Ghelarducci, B.; Santarcangelo, E.L. Hypnotic modulation of flow-mediated endothelial response to mental stress. Int. J. Psychophysiol. 2005, 55, 221–227. [ Google Scholar] [ CrossRef]

Dietz, N.M.; Rivera, J.M.; Eggener, S.E.; Fix, R.T.; Warner, D.O.; Joyner, M.J. Nitric oxide contributes to the rise in forearm blood flow during mental stress in humans. J. Physiol. 1994, 480, 361–368. [ Google Scholar] [ CrossRef]

Inaba, Y.; Chen, J.A.; Bergmann, S.R. Prediction of future cardiovascular outcomes by flow-mediated vasodilatation of brachial artery: A meta-analysis. Int. J. Cardiovasc. Imaging 2010, 26, 631–640. [ Google Scholar] [ CrossRef] [ PubMed] The high-flavanol powder in Aduna Super-Cacao is made from specially selected cacao beans that have been chosen because they have the highest naturally-occurring flavanol content. These beans are then roasted very gently using an innovative processing technique, which ensures the powder retains at least 2x more flavanols than regular cacao. Learn more about the health & beauty benefits of Aduna Super-Cacao here. Panche AN, Diwan AD, Chandra SR. Flavonoids: an overview. J Nutr Sci. 2016;5:e47. doi:10.1017/jns.2016.41 Pretreatment of bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC) with (-)-epicatechin prevented oxLDL-elicited down-regulation of eNOS protein and partially the up-regulation of iNOS protein, thus shifting the eNOS/iNOS ratio toward preferencial expression of eNOS protein [ 67]. Nakagawa, Y.; Ishimura, K.; Oya, S.; Kamino, M.; Fujii, Y.; Nanba, F.; Toda, T.; Ishii, T.; Adachi, T.; Suhara, Y.; et al. Comparison of the sympathetic stimulatory abilities of B-type procyanidins based on induction of uncoupling protein-1 in brown adipose tissue (BAT) and increased plasma catecholamine (CA) in mice. PLoS ONE 2018, 13, e0201203. [ Google Scholar] [ CrossRef] [ PubMed][ Green Version]

Cacao Powder vs. Cocoa Powder

Oxidative stress also plays an important role in the pathogenesis of hypertension (HTA), which constitutes one of the main risk factors in the development and rapid progression of atherosclerosis. In a murine model of arterial hypertension (DOCA-salt HTA), the effect of two different doses of (-)-epicatechin on the activity of NADPH oxidase were studied. Results show that the chronic administration (5 weeks) of 10mg/kg of epicatechin significantly reduces the activity of this enzymatic complex, plasma markers of oxidative stress, and vascular production of O 2 −. All of the above show that procyanidin B2 has the capacity to inhibit the union of NF-κB to DNA and thus decrease the expression of genes involved in oxidation and inflammation processes of the metabolic syndrome. Curcumin and resveratrol (found mainly in grapes and wines) have also been studied for their potential inhibitory effect on NF-κB activation and translocation to the nucleus in TNF-α-stimulated adipocytes. Evidence showed that when cells were co-incubated with TNF-α and either curcumin or resveratrol, degradation of IκB was inhibited, as well as NF-κB nuclear translocation. In accordance with these observations, it was demonstrated that both curcumin and resveratrol were able to down-regulate TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and COX-2 gene expression in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, a significant reduction in secreted cytokine levels was also observed [ 64].