With more and more people now looking for alternatives to their daily caffeine intake and its drawbacks, organic and raw cacao are quickly becoming popular due to its stability in boosting energy and its myriad added health benefits. If you have spent time looking into organic and raw cacao, however, you have likely run into terms like “flavanols”, “flavonoids”, “and high flavanol” that may be unfamiliar to newcomers when describing the various upsides versus caffeine. A lot of people think that cacao is beneficial on it's own but that's a myth because you need to preserve the antioxidants (cocoa flavanols), for cacao to make any impact on your health. Now, in this article we discuss flavanols vs flavonoids.
These terms for the beneficial compounds the cacao plant contains are all over the marketing of many organic, raw, and ceremonial cacao products, but rarely do you encounter a concise, easy to follow breakdown of what flavanols and flavonoids are and their differences. Which one matters more when talking about cacao’s benefits, and what should you look out for with products that advertise them? Read on for an in-depth explanation:
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Flavanols vs. Flavonoids: The Basics
In the organic and raw cacao space, flavanols are typically the big talking point, but you will on occasion see flavonoids mentioned as well, either more generally or as a specific part of the product’s marketing. To someone less familiar, both likely sound like substances within cacao beneficial to one’s health, and while this is broadly true, there are key differences in the terms that are important to understand.
While both flavanols and flavonoids refer to compounds natural to many plants including cacao, flavanols are the specific one responsible for all organic cacao’s most important health benefits, and flavonoids are the larger category of compounds to which they belong. Flavonoids perform roles in plants such as providing color and UV protection, and many types provide some of the same positive effects on heart health, brain health, and chronic disease risk when consumed by humans as seen with organic cacao’s flavanols.
Flavanols like the ones the cacao plant contains, however, are unique in their bioavailability, or their capacity to be efficiently absorbed and utilized by the human body when consumed. Cacao specifically contains a type of flavanol called epicatechin, which research indicates can be absorbed and used by the body at a rate of up to 95%.[1] Put simply, while all flavonoids are beneficial to some degree, flavanols–especially cocoa flavanols–are what you need to be looking out for to maximize health benefits.
Flavanols vs. Flavonoids: The Benefits
As said, while many flavonoids provide similar benefits to the ones cocoa flavanols do, the ones you get from raw and organic cacao are among the best for potency and absorption by the body. Their health benefits in the areas of brain health, heart health, chronic disease risk and more can all be traced back to their high concentration of antioxidants, which work to protect cells from damage. They do this by neutralizing free radicals, which occur in the body via natural processes as well as external factors like smoking or poor diet.
In the realms of heart health and brain health, cocoa flavanols have been shown through various studies to be potentially the most effective. Consumption of flavanols 500 to 1,000 mg daily can combat high blood pressure,[2] and up to 1,000 per day can help reduce the effects of brain aging and improve cognitive function in older adults.[3] In addition, antioxidants like those contained in cocoa flavanols are known anti-cancer and Alzheimer’s agents as well.
Due to their increased bioavailability as compared to other flavonoids common in other foods, it is no wonder cocoa flavanols have been singled out for this sort of research in recent years. Whichever area of health is your chief concern, be it cardiovascular, mental, or general aging, flavanols are what you should be paying attention to when looking into raw and organic cacao.
Flavanols vs. Flavonoids: The Marketing
If you have looked into raw and organic cacao products in the past, you know flavanol content is often a major part of the marketing. Many brands in the space prominently advertise their products’ flavanol content, but paying attention to the fine print on this is still very important as, occasionally, you will find that the content advertised is actually “flavanols and flavonoids”. As discussed, flavanols are themselves a kind of flavonoid in addition to being one of the most potent types in cacao specifically, so make sure you are getting the full flavanol content out of the products you choose. These brands are using deception to make you think you are getting more antioxidants than you think. Every pure cacao powder with flavanols, inherently has flavonoids.
But this does not mean that flavanols are the only compound that is good to look out for. Vital Purple’s cacao, for instance, is superior in theobromine and anthocyanin content, two substances that are very beneficial for those looking toward high flavanol cacao’s other effects. With theobromine as a mild stimulant providing a more stable caffeine alternative and anthocyanins containing powerful levels of antioxidants that work in tandem with cocoa flavanols, seeing what other minerals and nutrients organic and raw cacao products provide can be just as important.
And of course, looking at the actual amount of flavanols you are getting is important too. In general, studies into their effects on heart and brain health suggest around 1,000 mg is a good daily target for consumption when looking to maximize the benefits, with brands closest to that amount per serving being the best. Though up to 2,000 mg per day is shown to be safe for most healthy adults[4], what matters more beyond this point is that your high flavanol cacao intake remains regular.
Why Choose Vital Purple?
With different brands striving for similar flavanol and other nutrient density, why choose Vital Purple? Simply put, Vital Purple is the world’s first and only pure, raw, ceremonial cacao made with a focus on preserving the plant’s natural purple hue. If you want a cacao powder that keeps all the best nutrients of the plant it comes from, one where you know exactly what you’re eating and mixing into your drinks, Vital Purple is the cacao for you.
Sources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29126853/ [1]
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3488419/ [2]
Are Flavanols or Flavonoids More Important?
In cacao, flavanols are more important. Since flavanols are themselves a type of flavonoid, and cocoa flavanols are especially potent and able to be absorbed by the body, flavanols are what you want to be looking out for in marketing.
How Much Flavanols Should You Get per Day?
Per most studies, 1,000 mg daily is the upper limit for what is effective at boosting cardiovascular health and fighting brain aging among other benefits. Look for brands whose serving size is closest to this amount.
What Is Vital Purple's Flavanol Content?
The flavanol content is advertised prominently on all of Vital Purple's product pages, with flagship products such as energy nibs containing 900 mg per serving.
Phillip McCauley
Phillip McCauley is the owner of Natural Zing and Vital Purple at TheOrganicCacao.com.
Writer / Researcher: Trey Norbey
