Antler Farms Organic Raw Cacao

WHY IS ANTLER FARMS® RAW CACAO BETTER THAN THE REST? ✅ 100% Pure - Antler Farms® Raw Cacao is 100% pure, certified organic cacao powder. It is vegan, gluten free and non-GMO with no added colors, flavors, sweeteners, fillers or preservatives. ✅ Grown in Peru - Our cacao comes from cacao trees that grow outdoors in the Amazon basin of Peru, where it has been cultivated organically for more than 3,000 years by local indigenous communities. ✅ Nutrient Rich - Antler Farms® Raw Cacao is harvested at the peak of potency to provide a rich source of antioxidants, flavonoids, vitamins, minerals, and the mild stimulant theobromine.  ✅ Cold Processed - Our cacao is naturally dried. It is never heated or roasted, but cold processed throughout to ensure all of its beneficial compounds remain completely intact and bioavailable. ✅ Certified Organic - Antler Farms® Raw Cacao is certified USDA organic. We produce the highest quality organic cacao without the use of herbicides, pesticides, artificial fertilizers or GMOs.

Antler Farms® Raw Cacao is 100% pure, certified organic Peruvian cacao powder from the Amazon Rainforest.

Our cacao is grown outdoors in the Amazon basin of Peru, in a region known for having the highest quality cacao crop. Here, in the tropical rainforest, is where the plant originated and has been cultivated organically for more than 3,000 years by local indigenous communities. Our cacao trees flourish in the forest canopy, with high humidity, rainfall and fertile soil, while being free of pesticides and environmental pollution.

Local farmers tend to the plants year-round and harvest the pods by hand. Thereafter, the beans are fermented, dried and processed into a fine powder under strict temperature control. Our cacao is raw - never heated or roasted - so that its nutrient content remains completely intact and bioavailable.

Cacao is a true superfood loaded with vitamins and minerals. It is particularly rich in flavonoids, a potent antioxidant, as well as theobromine, a natural stimulant. 

What are the Benefits of Cacao?

Raw cacao is one of the most powerful antioxidants of any superfood due to the high level of flavonoids.

There was a time when cacao was considered divine. It was consumed only by the wealthy and upper classes. The name of the Theobroma cacao tree literally means “food of the gods.”

Hard as it may seem, cacao, the bean used to make chocolate, is a healthy food. In its raw form, there are abundant benefits to consuming it. 

• HIGH IN ANTIOXIDANTS: Cacao has a distinct aroma and mildly bitter taste. This is due to its high concentration of polyphenols, a plant-based micronutrient. The polyphenols found in cacao include flavonoids and flavanols such as catechin, epicatechin, and procyanidins. These compounds are the source of cacao’s antioxidative power. In fact, cacao has one of the highest Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) scores, which is used to measure antioxidant levels in food. Antioxidants protect the body against the cell damage that free radicals cause, known as oxidative stress.
  
  Polyphenols also protect our heart and cardiovascular system. These nutrients have been shown to help lower blood pressure, improve blood flow to the heart and brain, and prevent blood clots.

Cacao contains naturally occurring chemicals that make us happy, reduce stress, and provide sustained energy.

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  POSITIVE ENERGY AND MOOD: Cacao contains many chemicals that positively affect our mood and energy levels almost instantly. It is known to have a positive effect on cognitive performance as well.
  
  Theobromine is an alkaloid responsible for the stimulating effects of cacao. It is in the same chemical family as caffeine. Like caffeine, theobromine consumption can provide both a physical and mental energy boost. However, unlike caffeine, theobromine provides a longer, sustained energy without the highs and lows.
  
  Cacao also stimulates the release of several major neurotransmitters and neuromodulators including serotonin, oxytocin, anandamide, and phenylethylamine. This triggers the production of “feel good” hormones such as endorphins, dopamine, and noradrenalin, which bring about feelings of happiness, euphoria and bliss. It short, it puts you in a good mood.

• MINERAL RICH: Cacao is the highest naturally occurring source of magnesium, a mineral that is chronically deficient in western diets. Over 80% of Americans are chronically deficient in magnesium. The mineral plays a vital role in our body, supporting our heart, muscles and brain. Other important minerals found in cacao include iron, potassium, zinc, copper, calcium, selenium, phosphorus and manganese.  

How is Antler Farms® Raw Cacao Grown and Harvested?

Antler Farms® Raw Cacao is grown outdoors, without the use of herbicides, pesticides, or artificial fertilizers.

The cacao bean comes from the fruit from the Theobroma cacao tree. The cacao tree grows in the wild in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. We source our cacao from here, the rain forest, because it yields the perfect conditions for cultivating the best cacao. Together the forest canopy, high humidity, rainfall and fertile soil create the model environment for cacao to flourish naturally as it has for thousands of years.

It takes four to five years for a cacao tree to produce cacao pods. When the pods turn from red, green or purple to yellow, they are ready for harvest. First, the pods are peeled to reveal the seeds. Then, the beans are placed into bins and allowed to ferment. This step is crucial as it brings out the flavor, aroma, and nutrients in the cacao. It determines the quality of the end product.

The fermented beans are carefully dried on large wooden platforms for a few days, before being ground and cold-pressed into paste. This removes the oil in the form of cacao butter, resulting in pure cacao powder with a 10%-12% fat content. Our cacao is raw - never roasted or otherwise heated, so it maintains all of its the beneficial compounds.

Antler Farms® Raw Cacao is a certified organic Peruvian cacao powder that is 100% pure, raw, vegan and gluten free with no GMOs used.

Cacao can be added to smoothies, coffee, and other drinks, or used as an ingredient in recipes.

Click here to buy Antler Farms® Raw Cacao

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CACAO AND COCOA? Cacao and cocoa powder are very similar. They both come from the same source – the cacao bean. The difference between the two lies in how the bean is processed. Put simply, cacao is raw while cocoa is not. To make cocoa, the beans are roasted at a high temperature after they have been dried. Additionally, the cocoa paste is washed with an alkalizing agent, in a process known as "Dutching”, to neutralize the acidity. This step improves its flavor, which is why cocoa is used in making sweet chocolate and desserts. However, the improvement in flavor comes at a steep cost. Roasting the cacao changes the chemical nature of the bean. This exposure to high temperature destroys most of the beneficial compounds. In addition, the alkalization treatment used to make cocoa results in an enormous loss of the total flavonoid content. As a result, cocoa has an inferior antioxidant capacity and nutrient density compared to raw cacao. Antler Farms® Raw Cacao is unroasted and non-alkalized, so it retains its full antioxidant and nutrient profile. There are no fillers, artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or preservatives in our product. Just 100% pure, raw cacao powder.