A friend of mine told me that raw cacao did not have caffeine in it. I was confused by this because chocolate has caffeine in it so where did it come from if there isn't any in raw cacao? Sometimes people hear things like this and just go with it, but I like to do my research. You have to be careful how you research because a pro-raw website will present information in a way that compels you to go raw and vice versa. Here are my personal conclusions:
Raw cacao does have caffeine in it. One website said there was less than in chocolate but I did not find any scientific evidence to support that. (I didn't really search extensively.) Also raw cacao and chocolate contain another stimulant, theobromine. Did you know that our livers metabolize caffeine into theobromine? Dogs can't eat chocolate because they metabolize theobromine more slowly than people causing theobromine toxicity. If people eat too much chocolate they can also get theobromine toxicity. Also theobromine has been linked to increased rates of prostate cancer and hypospadias and testicular cancer with prenatal and infant exposure.
That said, theobromine is a diuretic, increases blood flow/stimulates the heart and relaxes muscles making it useful for treating asthma and as a cough suppressant. It probably is why chocolate is said to be an aphrodisiac.
Back to chocolate...chocolate is high in antioxidants and magnesium. But is high in saturated fat so it would probably be healthier to eat blueberries. Also you can get more caffeine from 1 cup of chocolate chips than in a can of mountain dew. Twice as much in fact. Just in case you were wondering.
Anyway I think there is ample evidence here that eating chocolate is good for me, but even more than ample evidence that I should do so with moderation.
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