Physical, Emotional and Spiritual Benefits of Ceremonial Cacao (or a Cacao Ceremony)
By Leyla CAMACHO
Mama Cacao has been long considered a medicine plant and exotic food by the Mesoamerican and South American cultures. Throughout history, these cultures not only looked at cacao as a medicinal plant that provides relief to the heart, mind, body, and spirit, but they also used it for a number of spiritual, medicinal, and ceremonial purposes and even as a powerful aphrodisiac.
Cacao, in its most pure state, can become ceremonial cacao made from its beans, and when drunk can provide a wide number of physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits thanks to its nature: high in iron, B-complex vitamins, and magnesium, thus releasing all of its power to nourish the body, boost the brain, and open the heart.
Drinking ceremonial cacao is a simple, lucid, and down-to-earth practice called a cacao ceremony that anyone can undertake, always with commitment and intention. It’s through ceremonial cacao that this sacred plant releases all of its medicinal power, one that can flip your mood and boost your health as no other medicine can. Further, the regular consumption of this powerful drink not only allows to help reduce stress and anxiety levels, to improve the health of the mind, and of course, to stimulate an overall feeling of well-being day-to-day but also to experience the multiple benefits explained in detail below.
On the physical health side, ceremonial cacao provides a wide list of benefits.
Boosts the immune system
Ceremonial cacao is extremely high in antioxidants and rich in polyphenols which makes it a potent antioxidant food source. But how do antioxidants work in the body? Well, antioxidants are the responsible ones to support and boost our immune system which consecutively helps to keep our cells healthy and, mainly, to protect our body against any infection. How come? By activating natural immunity, which provides stronger protection against virus infections and disease onset. On the other hand, polyphenols are able to wipe the radicals produced from oxidative stress and, in turn, conduct in the best possible way the immune system functions.
Supports the cardiovascular system
Ceremonial cacao is fully packed with many vitamins and minerals such as potassium, copper, iron, zinc, phosphorus, chromium, and magnesium which enrich cardiovascular health. From all these powerful minerals, potassium aids in lowering blood pressure, restoring the balance of the body’s fluid levels, and reinforcing cardiovascular and nerve function. Likewise, ceremonial cacao is also composed of an important amount of chromium, which works to balance and reduce blood sugar levels. Ceremonial cacao also has a high content of flavanols, which in a similar way to potassium, can help relax blood vessels and improve blood flow, thus lowering blood pressure. And, another significant compound of cacao is the famous theobromine, a great alkaloid that is in charge of stimulating the cardiovascular system and increasing heart function and blood flow.
Improves Cognitive Function
Ceremonial cacao has plenty of flavonols, and what is this? Well, flavonol is a phytonutrient known to improve blood flow to the brain. By improving blood flow the brain gets more oxygenated, which results in a significant improvement not only in mental focus but also in attention span. Theobromine also helps to enhance cognitive function, how? In a similar way that flavanols; however, theobromine not only increases blood flow and oxygenation to the brain but also works as an antioxidant good for mitigating oxidative stress and reducing inflammation. Ceremonial cacao also contains phylathelynamine, a chemical that increases dopamine in the brain thus improving cognitive performance, memory, and creativity, heightening mental agility, strengthening awareness, focus, and attention, reinforcing the response to task fulfillment, and building up a goal-aimed behavior.
Boosts Mood
Ceremonial cacao is gifted with anandamide, also known as “the bliss molecule”. Anandamide is a chemical that plays a significant role in our brains, it produces feelings of happiness. It’s the same chemical our body produces after a nice workout session, that feeling of a rush of good energy. Besides the bliss molecule, ceremonial cacao is known also for discharging dopamine and endorphins in the body, which not only mitigate some mood swings, like the ones coming from PMS symptoms but also boosts our mood and helps to alleviate some feelings like upsetness, anxiety, or irritation. Ceremonial cacao is also considered a great source of tryptophan, an amino acid that becomes serotonin, a neurotransmitter that people sometimes call it the “happy” chemical since it contributes to happiness and well-being. And how serotonin is related to ceremonial cacao? Well, ceremonial cacao increments the natural production of serotonin in the body, which is perfect for boosting our mood and enhancing our ability to ward off stress, making us feel good, calm, and relaxed.
Improves Sleep Quality
Ceremonial cacao has also calming and soothing agents, and this is thanks to the huge source of magnesium, a sleep-friendly natural relaxant. Magnesium does not only help to deactivate adrenaline but also helps to reduce sensitivity to pain and to soothe anxiety episodes. In addition to magnesium, and as mentioned before, ceremonial cacao helps lower blood pressure, which works to put us into a more relaxed state, thus creating a nice path for the production of serotonin, which is important to the production of melatonin. Melatonin is an important hormone in the brain since it plays an important role in sleep and acts on receptors in our body to encourage this state of mind and body. Also, the production and release of melatonin in the brain help control our sleep cycle.
Enhances Performance
Ceremonial cacao is well-stocked in theobromine, and almost everyone knows it! Theobromine is the principal bitter-tasting alkaloid of cacao, a molecule that works like a natural, mild stimulant that interacts throughout our bodies stimulating the cardiovascular system and increasing heart functions. Although theobromine is indeed a cardiovascular stimulant, it is not a central nervous system stimulant like caffeine, thus its impact is gentle and long-lasting. What theobromine offers is a steady boost of energy for an extended period of time but without making you feel on edge or jittery. That’s why, drinking ceremonial cacao is like consuming an energizer but with none of the negative side effects of the classical energy drinks packed with sugar and high in caffeine. Ceremonial cacao also contains a lot of nutrients suitable for helping restore our bodies after a good workout session. On the other hand, the minerals included in cacao, such as iron, magnesium, and potassium help take oxygen from the lungs to cells, support the adequate function of bones and muscles, and prevent the famous muscle cramps after exercising. Further, ceremonial cacao is rich in nitrates, the responsible ones to hep dilating blood vessels, reducing oxygen consumption, and enhancing blood flow, thus giving us enough energy to go further for longer. Likewise, the polyphenols and flavonoids present in ceremonial cacao work like powerful anti-inflammatories since they help lower pain or inflammation thus improving the recovery after physical activity and helping muscles to soothe and repair in a better and efficient way. And last but not least, ceremonial cacao contains phenylethylamine, commonly known as PEA, a molecule known for having influence over different brain neurotransmitters that help release serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, and also for its mood-enhancing and uplifting properties, as well as for boosting performance in physical activity.
Protects Skin and Teeth
Ceremonial cacao is not only great for the properties mentioned above but also for protecting skin and teeth… amazing, right? This is thanks to the flavanols found in cacao and that work to mitigate the oxidative stress and enhance the inflammatory response of the immune system, which helps to reduce damage to skin cells, improve skin condition, and increase skin resistance to UV radiation by conferring a significant level of photoprotection from UV light. When talking about how to ceremonial cacao is a good alley to skin it is because it contains high levels of antioxidants, which have moisturizing properties that improve our skin appearance and texture, and produce a healthy glow, too. Likewise, ceremonial cacao provides a great supply of magnesium to the body which helps to keep stronger bones and teeth, and also has several compounds with antibacterial, anti-enzymatic and immune-stimulating properties that may contribute to oral health effects, like slow tooth decay.
Slows Down Aging
Ceremonial cacao is super rich in antioxidants. Yes, those molecules that fight free radicals and other reactive molecules in the body. These antioxidants are flavonoids, and they protect our cells from damage by oxidative stress, reduce inflammation, and keep your blood vessels flexible which helps to maintain skin smoother in advanced age and even slowing down the aging process itself.