Health Benefits of Spicy Chocolate
If you’ve ever wondered where hot chocolate came from, we’re here to tell you the search may have ended. The warm and rich holiday drink that we know today, is only a variation of what hot chocolate may have originally been. Xocolatl as it was known in 16th century Mexico, was initially a cold and bitter drink, made from ground roasted cocoa beans, water, toasted corn and chili pepper seeds. The drink was heated and set to cool, and enjoyed by all classes. Emperor Montezuma reportedly drank an astonishing 50 cups a day from a golden goblet. While you may not want to drink that many cups in this day and age, we recommend getting your daily dose of chocolate.
Yes, we are recommending you to eat chocolate, and if there was a sweeter guilty pleasure you could not find it. Fortunately, dark chocolate is a treat that comes with all of the pleasure, and no guilt. Cacao, as it is also known, is a naturally occurring and relatively healthy food. It only becomes unhealthy when mixed with milk and sugar and is processed into what we commonly call milk chocolate. To be classified as dark chocolate, it must contain 60% or more of unprocessed cacao.
On its own, cacao supplies a huge array of health benefits including:
Protection against cardiovascular disease
Supporting respiratory blood supply
Lowering cholesterol
Fighting diabetes
Improving brain function.
High in antioxidants
Its bitter flavor profile is an acquired taste, the nutritional value makes it worth it. For our other ingredient, the heat of jalapeno chili’s seems an unlikely medicinal salve. The substance responsible for the heat of these little ruby gems is capsaicin, a flavonoid found in most peppers. Strange as it may sound, the medicinal properties of capsaicin are rooted in pain relief.
Health benefits of capsaicin
Combats psoriasis
Relieve sore throat pain
Reduce stress caused migraines
Mitigate or prevent neurodegenerative disease onset
The combination of the two, cacao and capsaicin, as unorthodox as it sounds yields some of the greatest natural remedies known to man. Spicy dark chocolate, because of the incredibly high antioxidant content, is also naturally abundant in antitumoral properties. Simply put, eating spicy chocolate can dramatically reduce the risk of developing cancer of any sort. The flavonoids contained in the jalapeno chili pepper help to halt the uncontrolled growth of healthy cells, which is what leads to cancer. In a loose sense, the chili pepper ‘burns up’ the cells, preventing the cancer from spreading.
Spicy chocolate is also high in antiviral properties, and has what is called ‘hepatoprotective agents’. This phrase is simply a big word for anything liver related. Both cacao and capsaicin break down during digestion and help to fiercely defend the liver, allowing it to do its job regulating our metabolism and more importantly our immune system.
Spicy Chocolate can be bought in stores, but if you want to enjoy it as traditional hot chocolate check out this recipe below:
Instructions:
Pour 1 or 2 cups of oat milk or almond milk, bring to a boil
Melt in 3 - 4 tablespoons of dark chocolate cacao
Add 1 ½ teaspoons of agave
Add a dash of cinnamon and cayenne
References:
Cooper, Karen A., et al. “Cocoa and Health: A Decade of Research: British Journal of Nutrition.” Cambridge Core, Cambridge University Press, 1 Aug. 2007, https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/cocoa-and-health-a-decade-of-research/10E9BE79E5DEFD360C5CD46B92E07414.
Saleh, Brhan K. “(PDF) Medicinal Uses and Health Benefits of Chili Pepper (Capsicum Spp ...” Medicinal Uses and Health Benefits of Chili Pepper, Research Gate, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328356491_Medicinal_uses_and_health_benefits_of_chili_pepper_Capsicum_spp_a_review.
Leuschel, Jani H. “Mexican Hot Chocolate: A Treat for Cool Days.” Food Hall by Jani, 1 Sept. 2022, https://jani-foodhall.org/mexican-hot-chocolate/.
