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Cacao: The superfood to beat statins
I’ve been a fan of smoothies before there was even a name for them. That’s how “old school” I am.
But after all these years, and numerous smoothie variations, a raw cacao powder and banana smoothie is still my favorite. Every time I have one, I feel supercharged.
It’s not all that surprising, considering cacao has 40 times the antioxidants of blueberries. (However, blueberries and their brain-boosting benefits are nothing to sneeze at!)
But it’s cacao’s effects on heart health that keep me coming back for more…
Cacao consumption just might tip the scales towards better cardiovascular disease reduction than statin drugs.
Let me show you the research. But first, do you know the difference between cacao and cocoa?
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Cacao powder versus chocolate
Although cocoa (chocolate) and cacao powder are both derived from the same cacao bean, there is a marked difference in health benefits between the two.
Cocoa (typical chocolate found in stores) is obtained after cacao beans are roasted at high temperatures, thus destroying many antioxidant phytonutrients. Furthermore, cocoa goes through an alkalizing process to make the flavor and color more “chocolate” marketable, therefore losing much of the magnesium and calcium of the natural cacao bean.
Even worse, saturated fats and refined sugar (sucrose) are often added to cocoa to make it a high-calorie dessert rather than a superfood.
In contrast, cacao powder is a superfood. How so? Raw cacao powder contains hundreds of nutrient compounds, including phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals (magnesium, zinc, iron, calcium) and omega-6 fatty acids.
One of cacao’s phytonutrients is anandamide, a natural euphoric lipid compound that binds to the same cannabinoid receptors as THC, earning it the nickname “the bliss molecule.” That’s because it plays a significant role in regulating mood, emotional well-being and even motivation.
Another mood enhancer found in raw cacao is the natural antidepressant, tryptophan, also an anti-inflammatory amino acid that promotes healthy aging.
This is just the beginning of what cacao can do for you. Let’s examine cacao’s impressive track record for cardiovascular health beyond its benefits.
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Cacao gives statins a run for the money
I am not “anti-statin,” but I don’t promote statins without taking an important first step, and that almost always begins with diet.
I have previously written here about 7 better-than-statin methods to lower your risk of heart disease. Now I know that a generous daily dose of cacao power (in a smoothie is fine) can be a great step in reducing heart attack and stroke risks, practically on par with statins, according to a comparison of meta-analyses.
This has been known for over a decade, but it’s not something you often hear about. Why?
Well, for one, there is little money for Big Pharma if cacao consumption is on the headlines for all to see. Most doctors are not promoting cacao as far as I know.
In a 2011 British Medical Journal, Italian researchers analyzed data from meta-analyses comprising cohort, case-control and cross-sectional observational studies. They analyzed data from 114,009 participants. They discovered there was a 37% reduction in cardiovascular disease (more than statins, see below) and a 29% reduction in stroke among those who consumed the highest amounts of cacao compared with consumers of the lowest levels.
Now compare that to the meta-analyses looking at the cardiovascular risk reduction by statin pills. The Cholesterol Treatment Trialists’ (CTT) Collaboration looked at 170,000 participants in the study on statin therapy and showed a 22% relative risk (RR) reduction in a heart attack or stroke. When participants took high or low dose statin therapy, they found a 14% reduction in death from vascular events and a 10% reduction in overall death.
A new meta-analysis reported in The Lancet showed that statins do help reduce the risk of a heart attack in those aged 75 years and older; however, statins were previously not thought to help this age group. Researchers reported their analysis of 28 randomized controlled trials, including 186,854 patients with a mean age of 63 years. Of the total study participants, 14,483 were over age 75. The overall risk reduction ranged from 30% in those aged less than 55 years to approximately 20% in those aged over 75.
Cacao can be so tasty, you may feel guilty. Just remind yourself of all the good it’s doing for your heart!
Editor’s note: What do you really know about stroke? The truth is, only 10% of stroke survivors recover almost completely, and all doctors can offer is what to do after a stroke occurs. That’s unacceptable considering 80% of strokes are preventable! Click here to discover how to escape The Stroke Syndrome: 5 Signs it’s Stalking You — Plus the Hidden Causes and Preventive Measures You’ve Never Heard About!
Sources:
- James JS. Marijuana and chocolate — AIDS Treat News. 1996 Oct 18;(No 257):3-4. PubMed PMID: 11363932
- Scherma M, Masia P, Satta V, Fratta W, Fadda P, Tanda G. Brain activity of anandamide: a rewarding bliss? — Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2019 Mar;40(3):309-323. Review. PubMed PMID: 30050084
- Buitrago-Lopez A, Sanderson J, Johnson L, Warnakula S, Wood A, Di Angelantonio E, Franco OH. Chocolate consumption and cardiometabolic disorders: systematic review and meta-analysis — BMJ. 2011 Aug 26;343:d4488. Review. PubMed PMID: 21875885
- Virani SS. Statins in the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in women: facts and myths — Tex Heart Inst J. 2013;40(3):288–289
- Jane Armitage, Colin Baigent, Elizabeth Barnes, et al. Efficacy and safety of statin therapy in older people: a meta-analysis of individual participant data from 28 randomised controlled trials — The Lancet, 2019; 393 (10170): 407
By Dr. Michael Cutler
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