Is cacao really a “superfood”?

Let`s take a look at flavonoids, flavanols and what the research says, from the Amazon farm where we grow our cacao and make our chocolate.

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Is Cacao Really a “Superfood”? What Flavanols Are, and Why Where Your Chocolate Is Made Matters

Here’s the honest answer first: “superfood” isn’t a scientific term. There’s no lab test a food passes to earn it. It’s a nickname for foods that pack a lot of interesting nutrients into a small, everyday serving.

Cacao gets the nickname for good reason. Before it becomes chocolate, the cacao bean is one of the richest natural sources of flavanols, a family of plant compounds that scientists have studied for decades.

We see it every day

At Hacienda Umbelina, our farm near Pucallpa in the Peruvian Amazon, we grow organic fine aroma and wild cacao, and we make the chocolate right on the same farm.

So we’ve learned a thing or two about what happens to cacao between the tree and the bar.

Cacao, cocoa, chocolate: what’s the difference?

  • 01

    Cacao

    The tree, its pods and the raw beans inside.

  • 02

    Cocoa

    Usually beans that have been roasted and ground, often into powder.

  • 03

    Chocolate

    Cacao mass and sometimes other ingredients, added.

The more cacao, and the gentler the processing, the more of the bean’s natural compounds tend to make it into what you eat.

Flavonoids, flavanols, polyphenols: a quick decoder

These words get thrown around together. Here’s how they fit, from the biggest family to the smallest.

Polyphenols

A huge family of plant compounds. Cacao is naturally rich in them.

Flavonoids

One big group of polyphenols, also found in tea, berries and apples. Most of cacao’s polyphenols are flavonoids.

Flavanols

A group of flavonoids, like epicatechin and catechin. The ones cacao is best known for.

Plants make these compounds for their own reasons: color, bitterness, defense. That gentle bitterness in a good dark chocolate? That’s partly flavanols talking.

What does the research actually say?

The biggest study so far is COSMOS, a trial published in 2022. Half the participants took a daily cocoa extract capsule.

  • 21,442

    adults, average age 72

  • 500 mg

    cocoa flavanols a day, as a capsule

  • 3.6 yrs

    median follow-up

The results were interesting. The main measure, total cardiovascular events, wasn’t significantly different from placebo. A secondary measure, cardiovascular deaths, was 27% lower in the cocoa extract group. The researchers themselves called for more studies.

Europe has reviewed the evidence too. EU regulators accept that cocoa flavanols help maintain the elasticity of blood vessels, which contributes to normal blood flow, at a daily intake of 200 mg of cocoa flavanols.

The fair summary: cacao flavanols are a real and active area of research.

Why processing matters

Flavanols are delicate. Heavy roasting, long transport and alkalizing (“Dutch processing,” which darkens cocoa and mellows its bite) can all reduce them. Lots of extra sugar and fillers dilute what’s left.

Beans are often harvested in one country, shipped across oceans and made into chocolate months later somewhere else.

Made where it grows

We do it differently and that’s what makes us special. One team, one farm, tree to bar. That means real traceability and chocolate that’s fresh from the source.

  • We grow it

    Organic fine aroma and wild cacao

  • We ferment & dry it

    Post-harvest, right on the farm.

  • We make the bar

    Just 2 organic ingredients.

Our recipes are intentionally simple: single-origin cacao plus coconut blossom sugar. No additives. No allergens. The flavor is bright, complex and deeply cacao-forward.

How to enjoy more cacao

  • Go darker

    Our 72% and 85% bars let the cacao lead.

  • Try it unalkalized

    Stir our unsweetened cacao powder into oatmeal, smoothies or hot milk.

  • Slow down

    Let a square melt. Fine aroma cacao changes as it melts, from fruity to earthy and back.

  • Make it a habit, not a hack

    Enjoy it as part of a varied diet with plenty of fruit, vegetables, tea and other plant foods.

Disclaimer: This article contains information about our products. It is for general information only and isn’t medical advice. Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian about your own diet and health.

Grown on our farm. Made on our farm.

Organic, plant-based dark chocolate and cacao powder from Hacienda Umbelina.

  • Dark Chocolate Bars 72% - Aromatic Experience 90g 72%

    Dark Chocolate Bars 72% - Aromatic Experience 90g

    $13.00

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  • Dark Chocolate Bars 85% - Wild Experience 90g 85%

    Dark Chocolate Bars 85% - Wild Experience 90g

    $13.00

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  • The Dark Chocolate Tasting Duo -20%

    The Dark Chocolate Tasting Duo

    $83.20

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  • Organic Cacao Powder Unalkalized

    Organic Cacao Powder

    Unsweetened, unalkalized, single origin.

    $18.00

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  • Organic Cacao Nibs 0% Sugar

    Organic Cacao Nibs

    Slow roast, 0 sugar, single origin.

    $19.00

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  • Organic 100% Cacao Chips 100% Cacao

    Organic 100% Cacao Chips

    100% organic, intense, single origin.

    $23.99

    Shop the powder

Questions we get a lot

Is dark chocolate a superfood?

Cacao is naturally rich in flavanols, which is why it gets the nickname. Chocolate also contains sugar and fat, so enjoy it as a treat.

Does all dark chocolate have the same flavanols?

No. Flavanol levels vary with the cacao, how it’s fermented, roasted and processed, and the cacao percentage.

Is cacao powder better than cocoa powder?

The names are often used interchangeably. What matters more is whether it’s alkalized. Unalkalized powder, like ours, keeps more of cacao’s natural character.

How much chocolate should I eat?

There’s no official recommendation for chocolate. Enjoy it in moderation as part of a balanced diet.

Are your bars sugar-free?

No. They’re sweetened with organic coconut blossom sugar. Just 2 organic ingredients.

Sources

  1. Sesso HD et al., COSMOS cocoa flavanol trial, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2022. PubMed
  2. Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/539, authorized cocoa flavanol health claim. Full text
  3. SupplySide SJ, “No, eating chocolate won’t prevent heart disease.” Article