For chocolate lovers and health enthusiasts, cocoa is one superfood you shouldn’t miss out on. Brimming with essential nutrients and potent antioxidants, this healthy chocolate alternative offers an immense amount of flavor and a wide range of health benefits.
Cocoa powder is made from slabs of roasted cacao beans that have been left behind after the removal of cocoa butter. [1] Before this removal process occurs, freshly harvested cocoa beans are first fermented and then dried and roasted so they can be broken down into cacao nibs.
The nibs are then ground to a paste so their fat content – what is known as cocoa butter – can be extracted. This leaves behind crumbly solids that can be ground into a fine powder – a powder that can be used for baking and making all kinds of chocolate products. [2]
Because this powder is the basis of chocolate’s flavor, cocoa powder can be considered the most concentrated version of chocolate there is. Without further processing, cocoa powder is naturally acidic; while some powders are left as is, others are “alkalized” to reduce their acidity, resulting in a darker powder with a less-chocolatey flavor – a product known as Dutched cocoa powder. [3]
Unliked Dutched cocoa, regular cocoa powder is more flavorful and more nutritious because it undergoes less processing. Cacao beans are a rich source of vitamins and minerals and powerful antioxidants called flavanols, which unprocessed cocoa powder retains in abundance.
Flavanols contribute to the bitterness of cocoa, which is why they are removed from Dutched cocoa powder. But the process not only destroys these beneficial compounds but also the other nutrients in cocoa, reducing the nutritional value of Dutched cocoa powder. [4]
Untouched cocoa powder, on the other hand, retains most of the beneficial properties of cacao beans, making it bitter in taste but full of health benefits. According to studies, the biological activities of flavanols alone can help you maintain optimal health and wellness. [5]
Untreated cocoa powder is also a good source of fiber, protein and healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, particularly palmitoleic acid (omega-7) and oleic acid (omega-9). [6] It also provides calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, zinc, copper and vitamins A, B1, B2, B3 and E. [7]
What’s great about cocoa powder is that it is easy to incorporate into your diet or daily routine. For example, cocoa powder can be used to make a nutritious and energizing hot cocoa that you can drink as a substitute for coffee.
Aside from the boost in antioxidants, a cup of hot cocoa can give you caffeine and theobromine, two compounds with a mild stimulating effect on the central nervous system. These active plant compounds can increase your alertness and even uplift your mood naturally. [8]
Cocoa powder can also be used for cooking savory sauces, such as a delicious Mexican mole. This versatile sauce with chocolate notes goes well with pork fillet, rotisserie chicken, rice or tortillas and even fried eggs. [9]
And for people who love chocolate-flavored desserts but are trying to cut back on sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder is a great addition to your baked goods. Not only is it sure to elevate the flavor of your recipes, but it can also give you a nutritional boost!
Why choose LAB-VERIFIED cocoa products
Although natural cocoa powder (not Dutched) is a healthy addition to your diet, you cannot simply trust every product you find on the market. Some may claim to be “clean” and “organic” but secretly contain harmful additives or worse, heavy metal contaminants.
Unfortunately, cocoa powder is prone to contamination with toxic metals, especially lead and cadmium. A 2005 report published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives found that lead contamination of cocoa products usually occurs during shipping or processing of the beans as well as during the manufacturing of chocolate products. [10]
A more recent study published in Frontiers in Nutrition investigated the heavy metal content of 72 dark chocolate and cocoa-containing products sold in the United States. While none of the products exceeded the Prop 65 maximum allowable dose levels (MADLs) for arsenic, the researchers found that 45% did exceed MADLs for lead and 35% for cadmium. [11]
The study also reported that 97.2% (70 out of 72) fell below the interim reference level limits (maximum allowable intake) set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for lead. The report further noted that although “heavy metal contamination – in more than half of products tested – may not pose any appreciable risk for the average person when consumed as a single serving, consuming some of the products tested, or more than one serving per day in combination with non-cocoa derived sources [of] heavy metals, may add up to exposure that would exceed the Prop 65 MADLs.”
This means that consumers should take extra care when purchasing cocoa products. To avoid ingesting cocoa contaminated with lead and cadmium – which are known to accumulate in the kidneys and liver and cause cardiovascular disease, kidney dysfunction, developmental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases – choose only products that are lab verified for cleanliness and purity. [12]
You can ensure your family’s safety by opting for cocoa products that are not only certified organic but also thoroughly lab tested to confirm extremely low or negligible levels of heavy metals and non-exposure to harmful pesticides like glyphosate.
After all, many commercial products that are labeled “organic” turn out to be fakes. And as the 2024 study reported, “organic” products were significantly more likely to have higher levels of cadmium and lead. That’s why you can only trust lab-verified organic cocoa products.
With lab-verified products, you can be sure that the cocoa you’re buying truly offers the following benefits:*
· Rich source of essential nutrients
· Abundant source of antioxidant polyphenols
· Supports good overall health and wellness
· Lab tested for contaminants to ensure cleanliness and purity
· Easy to incorporate into a healthy daily routine
Where to find Lab-verified Organic Cocoa Products
Because your health and safety matter to us more than anything, the Health Ranger Store only offers clean, lab-verified organic cocoa products, such as Health Ranger Select Organic Cocoa Love Powder, Groovy Bee® Organic Cocoa Energize and Enerhealth Organic Cocoa Mojo.
We want you to enjoy the nutritional benefits pure organic cocoa has to offer without worrying about toxic contaminants, which is why our premium Organic Cocoa Love Powder is sourced only from high-quality cacao beans that have been grown under strict organic standards.
This means that Health Ranger Select Organic Cocoa Love Powder offers nothing but the pure healthy goodness of cocoa with every serving. Our delicious cocoa powder combines antioxidant packed, lab-verified organic cocoa powder with low glycemic organic coconut sugar to bring you a delicious, relaxing beverage that can also support your overall health.
Health Ranger Select Organic Cocoa Love Powder is non-GMO, non-China, plant-based, certified Kosher and organic. It is also extensively lab tested for glyphosate, heavy metals and microbiology.
Specially formulated to support optimal health and fuel you throughout the day, Groovy Bee® Organic Cocoa Energize is a nutritious and delicious powder blend that offers the wholesome goodness of organic cocoa powder, organic maca root powder and seven organic functional mushroom powders.
Loaded with antioxidants and slightly sweetened with low glycemic organic coconut sugar – one of the best low-glycemic sugar substitutes on the planet – Groovy Bee® Organic Cocoa Energize is non-GMO, plant-based, certified Kosher and organic, and also extensively lab tested for glyphosate, heavy metals and microbiology.
Enerhealth Organic Cocoa Mojo is a brilliant mixture of organic cacao powder, organic low-glycemic coconut sugar and a blend of the medicinal mushrooms Agaricus blazei (almond mushroom), Cordyceps sinensis (cordyceps), Grifola frondosa (maitake), Ganoderma lucidum (reishi), Coriolus versicolor (turkey tail) and Lentinula edodes (shiitake).
Rich in essential nutrients and health-supporting phytonutrients, Enerhealth Organic Cocoa Mojo is a delicious and nutritious “hot chocolate” powder that you can mix with hot water or warm milk of any kind. It is the perfect hot beverage to warm and energize you this winter.
This gourmet hot chocolate is richer and more satisfying than any regular hot chocolate because it is not made with empty-calorie refined sugars and heavily processed ingredients. Enerhealth Organic Cocoa Mojo is vegan, low-glycemic, gluten-free, lab-verified, USDA organic and contains no fillers, additives or chemicals.
Enjoy the nutritious goodness of organic cocoa without worries by choosing only lab-verified cocoa products!
*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose any diseases.
References
[1] https://www.sciencedirect.com
[2] https://www.seriouseats.com
[3] https://www.soulchocolate.com
[4] https://nutritionfacts.org
[5] https://www.sciencedirect.com
[6] https://www.frontiersin.org
[8] https://www.healthline.com
[9] https://www.allrecipes.com
[10] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
