Six reasons for why cacao is a powerful and effective way of reducing stress and anxiety:
In June 2020 we set up our 21 Day Cacao Challenge– from Stress & Anxiety to Peace & Harmony, to see if people who drank ceremonial grade cacao daily saw a significant reduction in their stress and anxiety levels, and we recorded their findings in a National Health Study.
Using a combination of drinking a daily cup of cacao, alongside a daily email that offers tips on mindfulness, meditation and connecting with nature, the results of the study provided significant evidence that regularly drinking ceremonial grade cacao not only helps reduce stress and anxiety but also helps us feel calmer and more peaceful, making it THE medicine for these turbulent times.
Our aim at Ritual Cacao is to help our customers ritualise their daily cup of cacao, as a mindful practise, to improve mental health in a gentle, effective and enjoyable way!
Theobromine
Unlike caffeine, theobromine is not a central nervous system stimulant and therefore doesn’t typically make you feel as on edge or jittery. Instead, it stimulates the cardiovascular system, and increases heart function and blood flow. Theobromine feels more like the energy you gain after a good night’s sleep rather than the quick high you get from coffee!
Theobromine also repairs dental enamel, as well as widening blood vessels, increasing blood flow, and specifically stimulates the heart. making you feel more physically and mentally strong.
Dopamine
Dopamine, serotonin, and phenylethylamine are the chemicals we release when we fall in love. This range of natural mood-boosting chemicals mean that we are increasing our happiness levels with each cup of cacao we drink.
When we consume cacao, these “happy chemical” bind to the gaba receptor in the brain boosting the body’s natural production of these molecules, increasing our mood and ability to fend off stress. We also seem to live longer and have better social connections too. So, while there are lots of remedies for stress and anxiety, none are quite so pleasant, or delicious, as Ritual Cacao.
Rich in Magnesium & Tryptophan
Cacao is one of the highest plant-based sources of magnesium, sometimes known as the “sleep mineral”. Magnesium is a natural relaxant that helps deactivate adrenaline and is said to quiet nerves and calm sensitivity to pain. Cacao is also a source of tryptophan, an amino acid that gets turned into the neurotransmitter serotonin and then converted into the hormone melatonin.
Being rich in sleep-friendly magnesium and stress-fighting tryptophan are just two more reasons we believe cacao is THE plant medicine for these crazy times we are living in!
Polyphenols
Cacao polyphenols in commercial chocolate have been shown, in clinical trials, to reduce stress in both healthy and highly-stressed individuals, so we wanted to see if ceremonial grade cacao had the same - if not greater - impact on participants who drank it daily. Whilst the study was not a clinical or scientific trial, the data from real peoples’ experience shows that cacao induces feelings of peace, calm and harmony.
Releases the Bliss Molecules
Cacao naturally contains Anandamide, often referred to as the “bliss molecule,” which plays a role in regulating mood and emotional balance.
It works with the body’s endocannabinoid system, helping to support a sense of calm while gently lifting mood. Rather than numbing or overstimulating, it creates a more steady, grounded feeling, which is why many people find cacao helpful in easing stress and anxiety without the crash that comes with more processed stimulants.
Heart-Opening Properties
Cacao is a powerful Plant Medicine that calms the mind and reconnects us to feelings of peace, love, and connection.
From a scientific perspective, cacao’s heart-opening properties can be attributed to its high levels of theobromine, which widens blood vessels, increases blood flow, and specifically stimulates the heart. Shamanically, it helps to heal emotional wounds, release negative energy and find forgiveness and compasson.