Wellness Wednesday: May 26
Looking for that mid-week mood boost? Cacao nibs have got you covered! For Wellness Wednesday, we’ll be highlighting these little serotonin-boosting nibs as our featured superfood ingredient.
Cacao nibs are slightly bitter, chopped bits of the cacao bean, deriving from the Theobroma cacao tree. Though you might be familiar with chocolate, cacao nibs differ in that they’re completely raw, unprocessed, and unsweetened. Nicknamed “nature’s chocolate chips” for this very reason, cacao nibs are harvested in tropical and Amazonian regions, originating from Africa and countries like Brazil, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Ecuador.
While naturally low in sugar, cacao nibs provide an excellent source of magnesium, manganese, copper, fiber, protein, and healthy fats. Many people are often lacking magnesium in their diets even though it’s a necessary mineral needed for 300+ enzyme reactions in the body, so cacao nibs can help get in your daily recommended intake.
Cacao nibs are also incredibly high in antioxidants, protecting against cell damage and diseases like heart disease and cancer, and contain anti-inflammatory properties, which help protect against injury and sickness. The antioxidants in cacao nibs—epicatechins and catechins—have been studied to potentially have anti-cancer effects on the body. While reducing inflammation, they can help to prevent the spread of cancer cells and even promote death of cancer cells already in the body. In one study, cacao beans stopped the spread of colon cancer and lung and prostate cancer in rodents.
Cacao nibs are an excellent addition to any bowl! They come on top of our Sweet + Savory bowl, but you can add them to your favorite bowl as well. They’re even delicious on top of our Bananas Foster toast, or provide the perfect and satisfying crunch to the Chocolate Peanut Butter or Cold Brew protein shakes! Try them today!
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