I’m taking the liberty of assuming you’ve had chocolate at least once in your life. Whether found in a delicious pack of M&Ms, or wrapped in fancy foil, chocolate is a nearly universally appreciated treat, and if you weren’t aware, cacao is its main ingredient.
Cacao is a very, very powerful substance. Not only does the unassuming little bean have a long history with ancient cultures and grocery stores, but it’s rapidly gaining traction as party fuel.
Forget cocaine, ecstasy, or ketamine, naturally occurring cacao can perk you up just as effectively, and packs a surprising load of health benefits. It contains traces of magnesium which relieves tension, and mood-enhancing compounds such as anandamide and phenylethylamine.
However, Dr. Catherine Kwik-Uribe, Director of research and development for Mars Symbioscience, claims that cacao having a direct impact on mood is a load of crap; the amount of those mood-enhancing chemicals are just too little to actually notice.
Still, that’s not stopping festivals like Envision and Lightning In A Bottle from incorporating traditional cacao ceremonies into their events. More than just heightening one’s mood, raw cacao is often seen as nourishment and is coupled with spiritual reflection during these ceremonies.
While there isn’t sufficient scientific evidence to back these claims, we’d like to believe there’s a healthy, legal, and safe alternative to the already established party substances.
H/T Pulse Radio
