What Happens When You Eat Cacao Beans?

Eating cacao beans provides you with a variety of health benefits. Don't get cacao beans confused with chocolate. Even though cacao beans are an ingredient in chocolate, the added ingredients and processing changes the nutritional content.

Health

• Eating raw cocoa beans can help with weight loss because of the chromium and coumarin content. Chromium is also beneficial for regulating blood sugar. Theobromine, an alkaloid found in cocoa beans, helps prevent cavities by killing one of the bacteria strains responsible for tooth decay. Magnesium is an essential mineral that relaxes muscles, the heart and the cardiovascular system. Cocoa has the highest levels of magnesium of any food source.

Mood

• Eating cocoa beans, especially raw cocoa nibs, can help improve your mood. The beans contain anandamide, a neurotransmitter that helps people feel happier. Cocoa beans also contain serotonin, which is another neurotransmitter that affects the brain and facilitates good feelings.

Antioxidants

• The antioxidants in chocolate are oligomeric procynanidins, resveratrol and the polyphenols. Raw cocoa beans, such as nibs, have higher levels of antioxidants. The cooking process to make chocolate bars and other foods reduces antioxidant levels. Antioxidants ward off diseases, such as cancer and heart disease.

Negative Side Effects

• Eating raw cocoa beans is not associated with any negative side effects. However, cocoa beans do contain caffeine. If caffeine affects you negatively, for instance by causing sleep disruptions, you should limit or avoid eating cocoa beans. The amount of caffeine present depends on the cocoa bean.