WHY BREW COFFEE AND CACAO TOGETHER?
The blend - the taste:
AkNa’s coffee-cacao is a unique blend of single source 
Chiapas Arabica coffee and “Rio Grijalva” criollo cacao. The flavour profiles of the coffee, mainly vanilla, caramel, and roast chocolate, blend with a delicate roast cacao known for its sweet fruity tones. The cacao balances
acids in the coffee allowing subtle flavours to emerge. The healthy fats present
in this elite cacao are among the highest percentage per grain worldwide - making this a true Keto-coffee. Properly brewed, the result is a rich and creamy cup of cacao-joe you may want to drink black but feel free to add your favourite ingredients.
https://www.freepik.es/yanadjana, coffee, ground coffee
https://www.freepik.es/rostovtsevayu, cacao: beans, nibs, grind
A word about “cacao”:
Cacao can be used interchangeably with cocoa but not with the processed drink coco. Our cacao is roasted and ground from cacao nibs - which are natural chocolatey segments within a grain of cacao. There has been debate as to whether roast cacao is as healthy as “raw” cacao (fermented but not roasted). Roasted cacao won’t have as many but will have a great deal of the compounds present in unroasted cacao. Most importantly though, cacao is safer consumed roasted than raw. Much tastier too!
https://www.freepik.es/narong27 Cacao pods
Is it good for you?
Health benefits... well... there are many. You don’t have to take our word for it though - check the numerous studies and reviews online about coffee and cacao in recent scientific journals and periodicals. Some benefits of these whole food ingredients have been summarized below.
Coffee-cacao, a healthy blend:
In March 2017, researchers at Clarkson University and the University of Georgia finished a study about the effects of caffeine and cocoa, with particular focus “on the motivation to perform cognitive work and feelings of anxiety, energy and fatigue”. Participants were given coffee, brewed cacao, a blend of coffee-cacao and a placebo. For the coffee-cacao mix, the anxiety given to caffeine alone was mitigated by cacao. Furthermore, the blend was demonstrated to sustain attention levels beyond what either coffee or cacao would offer by themselves. The study’s overall conclusion: "cocoa increases cerebral blood flow, which increases cognition and attention. Caffeine alone can increase anxiety. This particular project found that cocoa lessens caffeine's anxiety-producing effects”.
Ali Boolani, Jacob B. Lindheimer, Bryan D. Loy, Stephen Crozier, Patrick J. O’Connor. Acute effects of brewed cocoa consumption on attention, motivation to perform cognitive work and feelings of anxiety, energy and fatigue: a randomized, placebo-controlled crossover experiment Antioxid Redox Signal. 2011 Nov 15; 15(10): 2779–2811. https://www.freepik.es/nensuria, yoga.
Coffee...
… and your mental health: Coffee improves various aspects of brain function — including memory, mood, vigilance, energy levels, reaction times and general mental function. https://www.freepik.es/wavebreakmedia-micro, violinist
...and your game: Caffeine can boost your metabolic rate by 3–11% and help burn fat. It thereby improves/enhances physical performance. Other enhancements include higher bone density and better retinal health.
… and your nutrition: Coffee is rich in nutrients: riboflavin (vitamin B2): 11% of the reference daily intake (RDI), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5): 6% of the RDI, manganese and potassium: 3% of the RDI, magnesium and niacin (vitamin B3): 2% of the RDI.
… and your wellbeing: Studies observe that people who drink the most coffee have a 23–50% lower risk of getting type 2 diabetes. Coffee also lowers the risk of dementia, Parkinson’s disease, stroke as well as liver and colorectal cancer.
… BUT As recommended by The Mayo Clinic, women who are pregnant, trying to become pregnant or breastfeeding need to be cautious about caffeine. If you have side effects from coffee, such as heartburn, nervousness or insomnia, consider cutting back.
From articles featured on Healthline, Harvard Health, John Hopkins medicine, the Mayo Clinic.
Cacao…
… and your mental health: Cacao improves blood flow and thereby increases the flow of oxygen to the brain. It has had favourable results in treating Alzheimer’s patients. It can improve verbal fluency, visual ability and attention. Cacao has been found to have beneficial effects on mood and cognitive function.
...and your game: Cacao helps regulate water retention in the body, aiding muscle contraction and relaxation. Rich in polyphenols, cacao contains antioxidants that can reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure, and improve cholesterol levels.
… and your nutrition: Cacao is one of the highest food sources of magnesium in nature and is the highest plant based source of iron. Full of antioxidants - it also contains calcium, zinc, copper and selenium. Cacao contains more antioxidants than blueberries, goji berries, red wine, raisins, prunes, pomegranates or broccoli. Cacao is also a source of thiamine - vitamin B1 and folic acid. Cacao preserves the properties of omega 3 fatty acids. https://www.freepik.es/marymarkevich, basketball
… and your wellbeing: According to a 2011 study in Antioxidants & Redox Signaling, cacao “contains more phenolic antioxidants than most foods”. “Cocoa consumption may stimulate changes in redox-sensitive signaling pathways involved in gene expression and the immune response.” Furthermore, “cocoa can protect nerves from injury and inflammation.” Cacao has also been shown to be good for your dental health.
Polyphenols from Cocoa and Vascular Health—A Critical Review Gerald Rimbach,* Mona Melchin, Jennifer Moehring, and Anika E. Wagner Published online 2009 Nov 20. doi: 10.3390/ijms10104290
Antioxidants & Redox Signaling, doi: 10.1089/ars.2010.3697 PMCID: PMC4696435 PMID: 21470061 Cocoa and Chocolate in Human Health and Disease, David L. Katz, Kim Doughty, and Ather Alit.