Cocoa beans are sometimes called Cacao Beans, Cocoa, Cacao, or Theobroma cacao. Anyway, these beans come from the inside of the Cacao pod like the one you see on the picture. The Cocoa beans are white, or pink, or lavender when they are still fresh, but then after the drying process they become dark or brown in color. There are also very rare cases when cocoa beans stay white even after the drying process. Just to let you know from the start that the Cocoa or Cacao beans are NOT the beans used to make coffee, because some people including me :) thought so. Cocoa beans are sometimes used to include with coffee products, but the real chocolate is out of Cocoa beans. People around the world make chocolate, hot chocolate, cocoa powder, chocolate sweets, soaps, cosmetics, and cocoa butter out of the Cocoa Beans. Cocoa beans don’t taste very good, so in the factories they add some sugar or milk or both just to make it taste better, but at the same time that is what decreases the benefits of the real Cocoa bean. So, remember that the darker chocolate is healthier but at the same time it is NOT as sweet as the light brown, sweet, and milky chocolates. Also, make sure that you don’t overdose on chocolate, because it will lead to bigger health problems instead of health benefits. The Nutrients in a cup (86 grams) of Dry, Powdered, and Unsweetened Cocoa are:
- Vitamin B1, Thiamin
- Vitamin B2, Riboflavin
- Vitamin B3, Niacin
- Vitamin B5, Pantothenic Acid
- Vitamin B6, Pyridoxine
- Vitamin B9, Folate
- Vitamin K
- Protein (good amount)
- Calcium
- Iron (large amount)
- Magnesium (extreme amount)
- Phosphorus (large amount)
- Potassium (good amount)
- Sodium
- Zinc (good amount)
- Copper (extreme amount)
- Manganese (extreme amount)
- Selenium
- Caffeine
- Theobromine
- Omega 6 Fatty Acids
- Natural Fats
- Dietary Fiber (extreme amount)
- Carbohydrates
- Natural Sugars
- Calories
The Benefits that could possibly be expected from these Nutrients of Cocoa are:
- Improves Oxygen distribution
- Improves Immune System
- Provides Healthy energy
- Reduces fatigue
- Reduces weakness
- Improves concentration ability
- Lowers chance of infections
- Supports healthy hair
- Reduces Dizziness
- Lowers chances of headaches
- Strengthens nails
- Protects from apathy
- Lowers risks of depression
- Improves nerve function
- Improves muscle function
- Reduces confusion
- Reduces irritability
- Lowers chance of heart problems
- Lowers chance of high blood pressure
- Protects from chronic diarrhea
- Improves exercise ability
- Helps prevent warts
- Helps cure from warts
- Supports cell growth
- Improves Wound Healing
- Improves smelling ability
- Improves tasting ability
- Normalizes blood sugar level
- Regulates metabolism
- Normalizes appetite
- Supports healthy growth in children
- Protects from frequent colds
- Protects from frequent infections
- Supports Healthy skin
- Supports Healthy nails
- Supports Healthy hair
- Supports enzyme production
- Reduces weight loss
- Improves healthy development
- Supports blood clotting
- Improves healthy growth
- Relaxes nerves
- Relaxes muscles
- Strengthens bones
- Builds bones
- Improves blood circulation
- Protects from muscle spasms
- Improves heart rate
- Supports healthy thyroid gland
- Protects from free radicals
- Helps protect from nausea
- Reduces vomiting
- Reduces skin rashes
- Maintains Hair color
- Normalizes Cholesterol levels
- Helps prevent hearing loss
- Supports healthy reproduction
Also, if you are interested in this Cocoa Dark Chocolate Candy Bar, then just click on this image -
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Or, if you are interested in trying these Assorted Belgian Chocolates with cocoa in them, then just click on this image -
Tamarind, or Tamarindus indica, or Imli, or Indian Date is a bushy, tropical and evergreen tree which grows better in nice, warm, and sunny areas. Today Tamarind tree could easily be found in India, Sudan, Africa, Indonesia, Malaysia, South America, and Central America. Tamarind tree does flower with red or yellow, unique, and beautiful flowers. The Tamarind fruit can be eaten raw or cooked depending on the cultural customs. The Tamarind fruit is covered with a hard, brown shell. Depending on the region where this tree is growing, one Tamarind fruit pod could have up to 12 seeds in it or only up to 6 seeds. Some people describe Tamarind fruit as juicy, fleshy, sweet, and sour. People all over the world prepare and cook Tamarinds in many different ways; made into candy, other condiments mixed with sugar and spices, in jams, in syrups, as a dry snack, as a salted snack, made into iced fruit bars, in juices, and even cakes. The Nutrients of Raw Tamarinds in about one cup or 120 grams are:
Have you ever heard of a fruit called Durian, I know that I didn’t, until this research. This Seasonal Durian Fruit is also called by some people as The King of Fruits. They probably call it that way because of the large size and the thorns that cover it all the way around. Durian Fruit can be one foot long, and half of a foot in diameter, and it can way anywhere between two to seven pounds. Durians can either have greenish, yellowish, or brownish colors. Depending on your taste and opinion you could either extremely and deeply love the unusual smell and taste of this fruit or absolutely hate it and never even want it anywhere close to you. Because of the Durian’s smell issues some Asian hotels, subways, airports, and other public transportation banned this fruit from having it in public places. People believe that Durian has some very unique and strong smell even with the husk still intact. People can enjoy the insides of the fruit when it is fresh still, but the seeds you would have to cook before eating them. People around the world that love Durian taste, they enjoy it either with or mixed in like in ice cream, biscuits, candies, milkshakes, cakes, cappuccino, and even with fish or rice. The Nutrients in about one cup of Raw and Diced Durian Fruit are:
Kohlrabi vegetable can also be called German Turnip. Kohlrabi varieties include Grand Duke, Gigante, Purple Danube, White Vienna, Purple Vienna, and White Danube. Kohlrabi vegetable is somewhat similar to many other kinds of cabbages, like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and collard greens. Kohlrabi can have either white, purple, or light green color. People eat this vegetable raw, boiled, or steamed. The Nutrients that can be found in one cup or 135 grams of Raw Kohlrabi Vegetable are:
Today I would like to tell you some of the interesting information about the Pistachio Nuts. Pistachio plant is sometimes called either Pistacia Vera, Anacardiaceae, or Pistaciaceae. Pistachio nuts grow on a small desert tree. People like to enjoy Pistachio kernels as being roasted, fresh or salted, and sometimes with ice cream, baklava, mortadella, marshmallows, cottage cheese, canned fruit, cool whip, pudding, and salads. The Nutrients that you can find in one cup (123 grams) of Raw Pistachio Nuts are:
Plantain Fruits are kind of similar looking to Bananas, but people usually cook plantains, and bananas people usually eat fresh and raw. Plantains are also called Musa paradisiaca. Plantains may look like bananas but they taste not as sweet as bananas and they are more firmer than typical yellow sweet bananas. People cook plantains in many different ways, some prefer to boil them, some grill them, some fry them, some steam them, and the very ripe plantains can be eaten raw. Some people cook plantains just like you would cook a potato. The Nutrients that you may find in one cup or 148grams of sliced fresh raw plantains are:
We would like to introduce you today to another unique, juicy, and citrus fruit. This Fruit is called different names through out the whole world, and here are some of them, like Pomelo, Pummelo, Pommelo, Pumelo, Citrus Maxima, Citrus Grandis, Chinese Grapefruit, Jabong, Lusho fruit, Pompelmous, Papanas, Chakotara, Nobab, and Shaddock. We will be refering to this fruit as Pummelo because that is the way we saw it labeled in our local grocery store FredMeyer®. Pummelo fruit suppose to taste sweeter than grapefruit and it should not have the bitterness like the grapefruit has. You can enjoy Pummelo just the same as all the other citrus fruits in juices, smoothies, shakes, ice cream, yogurt, fruit salads, or just raw and fresh by itself. In about one cup or 190 grams of fresh and raw pummelo fruit people can expect to get these nutrients:
Zucchini is a vegetable that looks like a cucumber and sometimes called a summer squash. It usually has a green, or yellow, or a light green color. Some people consider zucchini a fruit because botanically it is an immature fruit. People enjoy zucchini with vegetable salads, in soups, in pastas, in rice, just raw by itself, canned, or fried with other vegetables. In about a cup or 180 grams of cooked Zucchini you can get these Nutrients:
In this post we would like to introduce you all to a unique vegetable called Globe Artichoke or Cynara cardunculus. This vegetable is also considered as a thistle. The green scales that cover the heart of the artichoke are not edible. Also, the younger artichokes have more of the edible part and it is more tender and tastes better to some people. Different countries cook the Artichokes in different ways, some like to boil them, some like to steam them, some prefer to fry them, some just bake them, and some people like to eat Artichokes after they have been canned. The Nutrients that you could get from about one medium artichoke which is about 120 grams, are:
Passionfruit or Passion Fruit or Passiflora Edulis is a healthy Fruit that likes to grow in hotter climates. It is possible to find Passion Fruit in places like India, South Africa, New Zealand, Israel, Carribean, East Africa, Brazil, Colombia, Hawaii, Florida, California, Ecuador, Indonesia, and Peru. The Oval Passion Fruit has a form of a very large egg and they can be about the size of a grapefruit or a lemon. You can find Passion Fruits in two different ripe colors dark purple and bright yellow, and if you see them in fresh green color then that means it is not ready to eat yet. The Passionfruit flowers on the Passion Fruit plants are extemely beautiful and have different colors also. There are different varieties available in Dark Purple color Passion Fruit and in Bright Yellow Passion Fruit. The Dark Purple Passion Fruit comes in varieties like Black Knight, Red Rover, Edgehill, Purple Giant, Frederick, Paul Ecke, and Kahuna. And the Bright Yellow Passion Fruit comes in varieties like Golden Giant and Brazilian Golden. When you’ll decide to buy some passionfruits, try choosing the bigger, heavier, firmer and even wrinkled ones while you are at the store. Do not buy the green ones, they are not ripe yet. You can enjoy Passionfruit with ice cream, yogurt, fruit salads or just fresh and raw by itself. If you don’t like the seed texture or taste in your mouth then just strain the juice that you’ll be able to squeeze out from the insides of the fruit. The Nutrients in Dark Purple Passion Fruit and in the Bright Yellow Passion Fruit are very similar and with very little differences. We will include both of the fruits’s Nutrients Lists, but only one Benefits List because of the similar Nutrients.
So, in about one cup or 247 grams of Raw, Fresh, Dark Purple Passionfruit Juice you can expect to receive these Nutrients:
And, in about one cup or 247 grams of Raw, Fresh, Bright Yellow Passionfruit Juice you can expect to receive these Nutrients: