Kitchen Remedies: Raw Chocolate and Herbal Medicine

Raw chocolate is a favorite in my household. Not only is it a superfood that fulfills the most intense chocolate cravings, but it is quick and easy to make with only a few ingredients. And, as an herbalist, I’ve found it to be a useful delivery method for traditional medicinals.

History and Benefits

The use of cacao can be traced as far as 5300 years ago in Southern America [1]. Written evidence of its function to administer medicine stretches back to the 16th century [2]. Since then, there are over 100 recorded medicinal uses of cacao itself that include indications to treat and improve digestion, cognition, sexual functioning, breast milk production, longevity, kidney health, and anemia [2].

Chocolate derives from seeds of the cacao tree known as cacao beans. Raw chocolate is made from cacao powder that has been cold-pressed instead of roasted during processing. In contrast, cocoa is the end result of roasting cacao beans.

Raw chocolate not only provides healthy fat but cacao itself is high in polyphenol antioxidants as well as being a good source of plant-based magnesium, iron, theobromine, calcium, phosphorus, copper and manganese. It can help improve energy, reduce cell damage and inflammation, prevent premature aging, lower blood pressure and benefit the cardiovascular system [3; 4].

Chocolate is renowned for elevating mood which is why so many of us reach for it when feeling down emotionally. Specifically, cacao contains the amino acid tryptophan which can be converted by the body into the neurotransmitter serotonin [5].

Cacao is a prebiotic source for a healthy gut biome due to the polyphenols it provides [6]. Polyphenol flavanols in cacao have also been shown to lower blood pressure and increase nitric oxide production which improves blood circulation, reduces the risk of stroke, and improves cardiovascular health [3; 7]. Because flavanols improve circulation, cacao has been linked to increasing blood flow in the brain which may reduce age-related cognition decline [8].

And cacao may be a nutritional ally against cancer as laboratory studies have shown that cocoa extract kills ovarian and breast cancer cells [9; 10].

Recipe

A basic recipe for raw chocolate includes a fat source (typically cacao butter or a blend of cacao butter and coconut oil), raw cacao powder, a natural sweetener (such as honey, maple syrup, or agave), vanilla extract, and salt. An internet search will give plenty of recipes to choose from and I encourage everyone to play around with ingredients and proportions to find what works best for you and your family.

The basic recipe I’ve settled on is:

1 cup raw organic cacao butter (or 2/3 cup cacao butter & 1/3 cup coconut oil)

1 cup raw organic unsweetened cacao powder

1/3 – 1/2 cup raw honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

Simply melt all the ingredients together in a double boiler, pour the melted mixture into chocolate molds, and set in a freezer until solid. This recipe yields 10 servings at about 350 calories each, but this can vary with ingredients, proportions and additions.

If you choose to add toppings to your chocolates such as dried fruit, nuts or seeds then sprinkle them on before your chocolates set. You can also omit adding salt to the melted mixture and instead sprinkle some sea salt on your chocolates before setting.

Keep chocolates refrigerated to prevent melting. Coconut oil melts at a lower temperature than cacao butter which is important to note, especially if making chocolate during warmer times of the year or if you’ll be traveling with your chocolates.

It is easy to make your mixture too sweet so I recommend starting with 1/3 cup of sweetener if using the above recipe and work up from there. Stevia can be used as a sweetener for those mindful of blood sugar levels.

Herbal Medicine

Medicinals that work well with raw chocolate include maca; tulsi; adaptogens such as ashwaganda, rhodiola, and eleuthero; mushrooms including chaga, lion’s mane, reishi, cordyceps, and turkey tail; and Chinese herbs such as he shou wu (fo ti) and gou gi zi (go ji berries).

Powders are the easiest way to incorporate herbs because they mix easily but you can slice up fresh herbs. Simply add your herbs to your melted chocolate mixture before pouring into molds. Amounts of incorporated medicinals for the above recipe can range from 1 tsp to 1/4 cup. It all depends upon prescribed dosages for each added product and you will likely have to weight each product for exact conversions because dosages are often given in grams. Additions can increase the bitterness of your chocolate so take a less is more approach when experimenting.

It is important to note that I am by no means saying that all the medicinals I have mentioned are appropriate for everyone. Many people, whether working with an herbalist, acupuncturist, or other health care provider such as a naturopath, MD, and chiropractor, take herbal granules and adding them to raw chocolate could be a fun way to administer them. For example, taking a low dose of reishi mushroom powder to boost immune function, or ashwaganda to better cope with stress, or eleuthero to improve physical stamina, could be more palatable to some taken in the form of raw chocolate.  

I must stress again that different medicinals have unique indications and contraindications. Working with a healthcare provider trained in herbal medicine is recommended but if you are self-prescribing please do your research to make sure that you are taking products that are a good fit for you and your needs, that are GMP-certified, and are taken at appropriate and safe therapeutic dosages.

References:

[1] Solly, M. Cacao was first cultivated in South America, not Mexico and Central America. Smithsonian Magazine. October 30, 2018. Available at: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cacao-was-first-cultivated-south-america-not-mexico-and-central-america-180970663/    

[2] Dillinger, T. L. & Barriga, P. & Escarcega, S. & Jimenez, M. & Salazar Lowe, D. & Grivetti, L. E. Food of the gods: cure for humanity? A cultural history of the medicinal and ritual use of chocolate. Journal of Nutrition. 2000, vol. 130: 8S Suppl. P. 2057S-72S. Available at: doi: 10.1093/jn/130.8.2057S.

[3] Yuan, S. & Li, X. & Jin, Y. & Lu, J. Chocolate consumption and risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and diabetes: A meta-analysis of prospective studies. Nutrients. 2017, vol. 9: 7. P. 688. Available at: doi: 10.3390/nu9070688.

[4] Ried, K. & Fakler, P. & Stocks, N. Effect of cocoa on blood pressure. Cochrane Database System Review. 2017, vol. 4: 4. P. CD008893. Available at: doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD008893.pub3.

[5] Nehlig, A. The neuroprotective effects of cocoa flavanol and its influence on cognitive performance. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. 2013, vol. 75: 3. P. 716-727. Available at: doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.2012.04378.x.

[6] Sorrenti, V. & Ali, S. & Mancin, L. & Davinelli, S. & Paoli, A. & Scapagnini, G. Cocoa Polyphenols and Gut Microbiota Interplay: Bioavailability, Prebiotic effect, and impact on human health. Nutrients. 2020, vol. 12: 7. P. 1908. Available at: doi: 10.3390/nu12071908.

[7] Buijsse, B. & Weikert, C. & Drogan, D. & Bergmann, M. & Boeing, H. Chocolate consumption in relation to blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease in German adults. European Heart Journal. 2010, vol. 31: 13. P. 1616-23. Available at: doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehq068.

[8] Sorond, F. A. 7 Lipsitz, L. A. & Hollenberg, N. K. & Fisher, N. D. L. Cerebral blood flow response to flavanol-rich cocoa in healthy elderly humans. Neuropsychiatric Disease Treatment. 2008, vol. 4: 2. P. 433-440. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18728792/. 

[9] Taparia, S. & Khanna, A. Effect of procyanidin-rich extract from natural cocoa powder on cellular viability, cell cycle progression, and chemoresistance in human epithelial ovarian carcinoma cell lines. Pharmacognosy Magazine. 2016, vol. 12: 2. P. S109-S115. Available at: doi: 10.4103/0973-1296.182164.

[10] Pereyra-Vergara, F. & Olivares-Corichi, I. M. & Perez-Ruiz, A. G. & Luna-Arias, J. P. & Garcia-Sanchez, J. R. Apoptosis induced by (-)-epicatechin in human breast cancer cells is mediated by reactive oxygen species. Molecules. 2020, vol. 25: 5. P. 1020. Available at: doi: 10.3390/molecules25051020.