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:
Cumin Seeds or sometimes spelled Cummin Seeds come from a flowering, herbaceous, and annual plant called Cuminum cyminum. Did you know that in these days Black Pepper spice is the most popular in the whole world and the Cumin is the second most popular in the world? Well… now you do :) People around the world use ground cumin as a spice or herb for many different dishes, some of them include, chili, soups, stews, and curries. About one table spoon (6 grams) of cumin seed spice has these Nutrients:
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:
Carambola Fruit is also called Starfruit is a delicious, sweet, and juicy fruit. It is pretty popular in Asia, Malaysia, South Pacific, South America, Florida, and Hawaii. The entire fruit is okay to eat, yes even with the fruit’s skin. Some people think that this fruit tastes like Grapefruit, Papaya, and Orange all together at the same time. If you have kidney problems then you may want to avoid this fruit for health reasons, but otherwise Carambola or StarFruit is pretty harmless. About one cup (132grams) of Raw Carambola contains these important Nutrients:
Winter Squash is a very tender vegetable with lots of different varieties in shapes and colors. Usually people prefer to cook the winter squash before eating it. The best time to pick winter squash is somewhere around October or November. The Nutrients in about 1 cup, (205 grams) of baked Winter Squash 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: