Did you know there is another species of “cacao” out there besides the one we all know and love? Cupuaçu (Theobroma grandiflorum) is another species of Theobroma (the chocolate genus) that can also be used to make chocolate, and it also has a delicious fruit and seeds that can be extracted for oil.
The tropical fruit pulp it produces is yummy (described as a cross between chocolate and pineapple) and enjoyed as a tropical fruit for smoothies, ice creams, popsicles and other sweets in Latin America.
Besides the great flavor, two really interesting things really set Cupuaçu apart from cacao (the source of chocolate)—the much lower caffeine content, and the possession of a type of phytochemical that regular chocolate does not have—the theograndins.
The theograndins are another type of bioactive polyphenols with antioxidant properties that we are still learning about. In preclinical work they have found to reduce the nitrosative stress and inflammation in the kidneys at equivalent doses as found in consuming Cupuaçu, indicating potential usefulness as a bioactive for adjuvant therapy in diabetics.
Photo by Pedro Spoladore
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*This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician.