This year you can keep that resolution – because it will be fun, delicious, and maybe even decadent! Who wouldn’t want to stick to a resolution like that?

From the Ochanomizu University in Tokyo to the University of Cambridge in England, and dozens of universities and research labs across the United States, scientifically-designed medical studies are showing that there is a positive correlation between healthy organic cacao and a reduction in the risk of developing heart disease.

The flavanols contained in cacao have been found to act as “cardioprotective”  agents. Although the mechanisms behind this effect are still under investigation, cacao is thought to possibly exert its benefits on cardiovascular health by activation of nitric oxide and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

The flavanols have chemical structures favoring antioxidant actions such as free radical scavenging and chelation of metals. In addition, it appears that the antioxidants in cacao can prevent the oxidation of LDL-cholesterol relating to the mechanism of protection in heart disease.

In a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, results showed 47% improvement in “endothelium function,” which measures how much the arteries dilated. There was also indication that there was an increase in cells that are produced in the bone marrow and that can develop into the structural cells that line and repair the arteries and veins.

It’s important to note that it is raw cacao that is indicated as an element that helps reduce heart disease. The more sugars and fats that are added to chocolate as it is refined and used to manufacture chocolate products used in hot chocolate beverages, chocolate milk, candy and other chocolate sweets, the further away you get from the health benefits of raw cacao.

Drinking delicious, healthy chocolate Mayesa – in its Original Cacao flavor and its Cacao Mint flavor – can both satisfy your chocolate cravings, and offer possible health benefits as well!

Today the FDA defines cacao as the source bean, and cocoa powder (along with chocolate liquor and cocoa butter) as products.  At the time these products are processed from the cacao bean, they are still raw and unsweetened.

It’s when a long refining process that adds sugar, other flavorings, and chemicals to lengthen shelf life are added to the chocolate product that “cocoa” veers widely from natural, raw, cacao. And during the refining process much of the antioxidants are destroyed by the heat.

Since that is what most consumers think of as cocoa, that’s where the difference lies.

Most chocolate candy, cakes, cookies, ice cream and milk sold to the American public contain only 10% raw cocoa and the other 90% is made up of high caloric, high carbohydrate  sugar, cream, oils, etc.  Many of these commercial items contain transfats, and up to 40 grams of sugar.

For example, “milk chocolate” contains just 10% pure chocolate liquor while dark chocolate has a minimum of 75%. When sold as candy bars, both, of course, also contain sugars and fats.

This is why it’s been hammered into our heads for years that to eat healthy is to stay away from chocolate, and no wonder since chocolate in the supermarket form has had most of the original nutritional qualities processed out.

Mayesa uses organic raw cacao. In this state cacao contains the highest concentration of antioxidants by weight – more than acai, blueberries, pomegranates, red wine and goji berries.  It is also a natural source of iron, magnesium, and theobromine (which supports the cardiovascular system).

When you drink Mayesa, you are getting all of the rich chocolate flavor and natural nutrients of cacao, and none of the refined sugars, transfats , and nutrient loss of that “other cocoa.”

Photo Credit: zupas.com

Cacao Flower

Sometimes something that tastes good really is good for you, too. And that’s the amazing fact about chocolate. In our article “A Healthy Chocolate Drink” we discussed the health benefits of chocolate. But exactly where does “chocolate” come from?

What we know as “chocolate” comes from the cacao tree, indigenous to the rainforests of South America. It originated in clumps along riverbanks in the Amazon basin on the eastern tropical slopes of the Andes. Today the cacao tree is cultivated all across the equatorial regions of the globe, in as far-flung places as Madagascar, the Congo, and Western Samoa.

The cacao tree requires some shade to grow, and thus is not damaging to rainforests, needing the rainforest canopy to protect it from the severe tropical sun. Large business cacao plantations, however, often clear areas for easier access to the trees and thus more profitable harvesting.

But many organic cacao farmers work with nature in assuring optimal growing conditions, creating smaller and “wilder” plantations. Utilizing the natural forest canopy not only protects the tree, but supports the habitat of the insects that pollinate the blossoms, as these insects also require humid shade.

Cacao seeds grow in pods that can range from 5 to 18 inches, and contain 30-50 white seeds. The seeds become reddish brown during the drying process. (There actually is a rare species of cacao in which the seeds remain white, most notably cultivated in Nicaragua.)

Interestingly, inside the pod the seeds are encased in a yellow, slippery pulp that is sweet and edible but tastes nothing like chocolate. In nature the pulp as an incentive for fruit-eating animals to break open the pod. The animals, especially monkeys, eat the pulp and spit out the seeds, thus dispersing the seeds and ensuring propagation of the tree species.

Cacao Seeds Inside Pod

The cacao plant was first given its botanical name, Theobroma cacao, by Swedish natural scientist Carl Linnaeus in his original classification of the plant kingdom. Linnaeus most appropriately used the Mayan word “cacao” which means “food of the gods.”

Which is exactly how we think of Mayesa – any drink that is rich chocolate and so chocked full of antioxidants and omegas that it’s really good for you – can only be a “food of the gods!”

Photo Credit Top: xocoatl.org

Photo Credit Bottom: Wikepedia.org

For a number of years soy has been touted as the perfect health food – a natural source of high protein.

However, recently a number of studies done by reputable institutions, including Cornell University, are showing that, in fact, soy is can be rather dangerous.

It turns out that soybeans contain a number of disagreeable substances. These include:

1. Phytates, acids that block the body’s uptake of essential minerals such as like calcium, iron and zinc.

2. Potent enzyme inhibitors that block the uptake of trypsin and other enzymes that the body needs for protein digestion.

3. Hemagglutinin, a clot promoting substance that causes red blood cells to clump together so they are unable to properly absorb oxygen for distribution to the body’s tissues.

Soy has also been linked to the explosion of thyroid disease in this country.

According to Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD in a study by the Harvard School of Public Health, soy oil is the most widely used oil in the U.S., accounting for more than 75 percent of our total vegetable fats and oil intake. And most of our soy products are now genetically engineered.

Beyond these concerns, there has been a huge rise in soy allergies such as with wheat allergies. Soy is now considered among the top eight allergens that can cause an immediate hypersensitive reaction.

According to a number of allergy specialists, many soy allergy reactions can also occur up to 2 days after consuming soy products, including sleep disturbances, incontinence, sinus and ear infections, irritability, joint pain, chronic fatigue, and gastrointestinal upset.

We at Mayesa are dedicated to offering a product that is truly healthy – in all ways for all members of your family. And now you know why we proudly announce that both Cacao Original Mayesa and Cacao Mint Mayesa are soy-free! Everybody can use and enjoy our healthy chocolate drinks!

Cacao also contains iron, magnesium, theobromine, and the “bliss chemical,” anandamide (This endorphin is released naturally after exercise and is found in cacao.  Just another reason we love chocolate!) Theobromine, informally known as “caffeine’s kinder and gentler cousin” provides an even and lasting energy unlike the highs and lows of caffeine.  MAYESA is dairy-free and soy-free and contains hemp protein, the most easily assimilated protein on the planet.  More about that in our next blog!

Cacao is hailed as the “food of the Gods” and as a “superfood” because of its unique and healthful properties.  In the Mayan culture, the cacao bean was ground into a frothy drink prized by royalty and reserved for their use in special ceremonies such as weddings.  In the Aztec culture, the cacao bean was so precious it was used as currency.  History clearly underscores the value of this great food.  At JAK Native, we use only the finest organic beans so that you can enjoy the benefits of cacao and indulge in MAYESA whenever you like!  “Indulge Your Health” with MAYESA…