Delicious cakes and gourmet brownies have a way of hitting that sweet spot, and while we might usually reach for cocoa powder to whip up a delicious treat, it might just be time to start pouring a little cacao love into your life.
These terms are more than just a few vowels shifted around here and there and actually have a distinct difference: temperature. That’s right, temperature plays a significant role in the process of cocoa and cacao powder.
Cocoa is processed at a much higher temperature, and when it’s packaged, it often contains added sugar and dairy while cacao is made by milling the beans at low temperatures. This means cacao is able to retain more nutrients and natural flavour.
So what are the health benefits of cacao powder?
According to webMD, cacao powder not only promotes healthy digestion, but it can also reduce the risk and symptoms of other digestive problems such as irritable bowel syndrome. It’s packed full of flavonoids, which can help build your immune system. It can also:
- Lower blood pressure
- Reduce the risk of diabetes
- Reduce inflammation
- Reduce heart disease
And even though cacao is bitter in taste, it’s rising in popularity thanks to the higher nutritional content as more people begin to shift towards natural diets. People also tend to balance out this bitterness by adding natural sweetness like bananas or blueberries.
If you’re not a fan of the powder, you could try out cacao nibs instead that’s often used as a topping for smoothies or yoghurt parfait.
On the other hand, if you’re a lover of a powdery form, then here are extra ways of adding cacao to your everyday life:
- Whip up an amazing cacao drink such as a healthier hot chocolate.
- Add it to your smoothies – yum!
- Use cacao powder in desserts for a healthier alternative (chocolate cake anyone?)
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