Cacao/Cacao Powder

TurkishPeater

Is there any writing of Ray which talks about cacao? Did any one of you eat cacao daily? Interested in this.

Kvirion

@TurkishPeater I do. In small/reasonable doses.

BTW https://biochemnordic.com/ray-peat-diet-chocolate/ - written by Ray followers

However, there are some concerns about iron, some heavy metals, and some polyphenols in cacao...

Ray himself wrote that cocoa butter is good https://raypeat.com/articles/nutrition/oils-in-context.shtml

Haidut: "Cocoa should be OK even in higher amounts provided there is no heavy metal contamination. The latter is hard to ascertain unless one has access to a lab that can do the testing. The protein in cocoa is much more anabolic than casein or even meat protein so that alone makes a very useful dietary addition. Peat spoke about the anabolic effects of cocoa several times."

CO3

@TurkishPeater In my experience cacao is great. If you can find something from South America rather than Africa, I think studies have shown the heavy metal conmtamination to be much less severe. You can often taste it too. Excessively bitter, metallic chocolates are often African ones. If you can find an organic brand, confirmed to be from South America (a particular country being mentioned is even better) this is ideal. Same is true of the cocoa powder. Oxfam has good chocolates that don't contain lecithins, and probably produce cocoa powder too. It is very beneficial, the proteins in chocolate are anabolic and chocolate also contains selegiline

drain gang

@CO3 Yep! Currently sipping on some skimmed milk mixed with cocoa powder from Oxfam. Really tasty and doesn't contain lecithins!

Cat

Adding cocoa powder to coffee seems really beneficial... I've started doing it and I've noticed a complete lack of caffeine withdrawal when I do choose to go without caffeine for a few days.

TurkishPeater

Thanks for all the replies guys. I got everything I need.

aapkabazardelhi

@TurkishPeater There’s no well-known writing by Satyajit Ray that directly explores cacao or chocolate as a topic. His works largely focused on storytelling, cinema, and social themes, and while food occasionally appears in his stories, cacao isn’t a central element.

As for eating cacao daily—many people are now adding dark chocolate or raw cacao to their diets because of its health benefits, like antioxidants and mood support.

If you’re curious about the health effects of chocolate, check out our detailed blog:
Is Chocolate Healthy? Nutrition Facts You Should Know
It covers types of chocolate, benefits, what to watch out for, and how to choose healthier options. Great read for anyone interested in adding chocolate to their lifestyle the smart way!