"Theobroma Cacao"
The cacao tree is a small evergreen tree in the family Malvaceae. Its leaves are alternate and unlobed. The flowers are produced in clusters directly on the trunk and on older branches. This is called “cauliflory.” Known as a cocoa pod, the fruit is ovoid, ripening yellow to orange and weighs about a pound. Each pod will contain 20 to 60 seeds, which are referred to as beans. The tree bears flowers and fruit after four or five years. A mature tree may have 6,000 flowers in a year, but only 20 pods. This is why it is so important to consume high quality cacao and not be wasteful.
In Traditional Chinese medicine, Bitters are known as digestive herbs that support digestive function by stimulating bitter receptors on the tongue, stomach, gallbladder and pancreas. Their primary effect is to promote digestive juices such as stomach acid, bile and enzymes to breakdown food and assist in the absorption of nutrients. The active ingredients in Bitters stimulate the flow of saliva and gastric juices, thereby improving appetite and digestive function.
Theobroma Cacao is a plant medicine and a nutritional POWERHOUSE!
Generally speaking, superfoods are foods considered exceptionally good for one’s well being due to their remarkable amount of vitamins and minerals. They are packed with supportive micronutrients, antioxidants, enzymes, and healthy fats. Cacao has seen a recent surge in interest to study the plant’s scientific, medical properties related to ingredients like Anandamide and Theobromine. Many such studies now evince cacao’s amazing benefits.
Anandamide is a compound produced by the body and it is also found concentrated in fermented cacao pulp. Named after the Sanskrit word for bliss, this euphoric neurotransmitter refreshes the nervous system—easing pain into relaxation and toxicity into stability. Theobromine is considered the main ingredient of cacao paste. Its pleasant, stimulating effects can be felt throughout the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Theobromine is known to counteract tumor growth and it is also responsible for cacao’s protective, anti-inflammatory properties. The combined effects of these two easygoing and inviting molecules facilitate creativity, reflection and meditation. Cacao is non-addictive, and it contains almost no caffeine, so it lacks many of the issues commonly associated with coffee. The experience of cacao is something entirely unique.
The active ingredients in Ceremonial Grade Cacao help to support the nervous system as well as the busy “thinking mind,” empowering the drinker to access the deeper layers of consciousness that often go unnoticed or neglected. When we drink cacao, anything is possible: sometimes we share, sometimes we sit in silence, sometimes we laugh, cry, dance, shake or even scream but always we open our hearts to infinite love and possibility.