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Cacao [Theobroma cacao]

Cacao is a sacred plant found in Central and South America.

Its seeds are used for the making of cacao beans, cacao butter, and chocolate. Cacao Plant Medicine has been used for thousands of years in the Mayan culture for medicinal, spiritual, and ceremonial purposes.

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Theobroma cacao fruit, Ecuador

 

In Mayan tradition, cacao is translated as "heart blood, "symbolizing the plant's importance in their culture.

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Obra da coleção Brasiliana Iconográfica.


Cacao beans contain a psychoactive ingredient called theobromine. This bitter alkaloid is mildly stimulating, giving you a burst of energy and improving focus as well as memory storage.

The beans increase the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain, which induces our feel-good hormones: endorphins and dopamine.

Cacao has also been shown to boost the immune system and lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

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