Home Lakanto® Products Lakanto® Family Size 800g Lakanto® Economy Size 235g Lakanto® Individual Packs About Saraya Erythritol & Luo Han Guo Living with Diabetes Weight Management Lakanto® Recipes Apple Pie Tofu Cheesecake Easy Rice Pudding Sweet Potatoes with Cheese Cheese Salad with Grapes and Pears Vegan Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies FAQ Contact

OMG Chocolate

Ah, finally, chocolate that is good for you, even healthy…what a refreshing twist. Yes, you can indulge your senses in the ambrosial nectar we call chocolate whenever you want…IF you know what kind of chocolate to eat.

Not all chocolate is good for you. In fact, most chocolate will be a major contributor to cardiovascular disease, arthritis, osteoporosis, gallstones, and appendicitis, not to mention a severely depressed immune system and susceptibility to all kinds of infections and other contagious diseases.

It’s not the chocolate that causes these health problems; it’s what it’s made with and how it’s made. There are three main things that make chocolate detrimental to your health:

Sugar
Milk
High Heat Processing

So if you want the health benefits of chocolate (and there are many), then eliminate the sugar and the milk (or other dairy products) and don’t cook it.

Introducing OMG organic, raw chocolate made with Lakanto

OMG Chocolate is a unique, hand-made artisanal chocolate. We only make this fine chocolate from premium selected cacao beans grown on small certified organic farms in the Los Rios region of Ecuador, where all the worlds highest quality cacao is grown. Cacao beans are what chocolate is made from. Our cacao is sourced from certified organic and certified Fair Trade farms where the growers are guaranteed a fair living wage.

Our chocolate is then hand-made is small batches by master raw chocolate maker, Kelly Johnson, who carefully maintains the nutritional and energetic qualities of the precious cacao beans throughout the manufacturing process. Neither the beans nor the chocolate ever exceeds 115 degrees Fahrenheit.

The result is a dairy-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, raw chocolate rich in antioxidants and other valuable vitamins and minerals.

Raw, Organic, Sugar Free, Chocolate

Raw, Organic, Sugar-Free Chocolate is one of the most nutrient rich foods on the planet. It is truly a Superfood, loaded with living enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. This is not candy, but a raw food supplement suitable for any diet.

Benefits of Raw Chocolate

Aside from its exotic flavor, cacao provides an abundance of valuable nutrients. Raw cacao beans are a highly complex super food packed with more than 300 components, many of which are destroyed or neutralized when the beans are processed into chocolate. They contain vitamins that are needed by the body on a daily basis (vitamin C, beta-carotene, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin ); they are particularly rich in essential minerals (magnesium, zinc, selenium, phosphorus, manganese, copper, calcium); and they contain important amino acids, neurotransmitters, natural fruit sugars, fiber, protein, and other nutrients.

Recent studies have suggested that cacao may possess certain beneficial effects in human health. Cacao is a rich source of the flavonoids, epicatechin, and gallic acid, which are thought to possess cardio-protective properties. About 15% of their weight is composed of flavonoids, which have antioxidant properties that are believed to reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers. Wild blueberries, which are considered an excellent source of antioxidants, have only about a 10th of the antioxidants contained in raw cacao beans.

The cacao beans also contain phenylethylamine (PEA), which releases chemicals in the brain that make us feel good and stay focused. Popularly known as the love drug, its presence is undoubtedly why chocolate has always had a reputation as an aphrodisiac. The high of being in love and the love of chocolate have a natural relationship that is also due to the presence of another neurotransmitter, anandamide, known as the bliss chemical. So, there really is a good reason for the “feel good” effect that chocolate has on people.

Benefit #1 – Abundant Source of Powerful Antioxidants

Cacao contains the highest concentration of antioxidants of any food in the world. These antioxidants include polyphenols, catechins, and epicatechins. By weight, cacao has more antioxidants than red wine, blueberries, acai, pomegranates, and goji berries COMBINED.

Why is this important?

High antioxidant and flavonoid values appear to have anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties due to their effects on free radicals. Antioxidants help neutralize free radicals and keep them from damaging the DNA and mitochondria of the body's cells. This free radical damage is a major cause of many degenerative diseases such as cancer tumors, heart disease, and premature aging. Cells with damaged DNA cannot reproduce healthy new cells, but will reproduce damaged or malignant cells known as tumors or cancer.
Supplementing the diet with so called super foods – foods that have very high natural nutrient content and high antioxidant value helps us reverse aging and protect the body from age related diseases. Raw cacao is the highest antioxidant food on earth.

A short primer on Free Radicals and Antioxidants

Free radicals are molecules that are missing one or more electrons and are therefore chemically imbalanced with a positive electrical charge. They are created in several kinds of chemical reactions which take place in our bodies, such as when we burn energy by working our muscles. To balance their charge, these radical molecules will seek to attract or "steal" electrons from other molecules - including the molecules which make up the DNA in your body's cells which is the blueprint for producing new cells, and the mitochondria in your cells which create the energy to sustain the cells

Cells with damaged mitochondria are weak and have lower energy and less resistance to disease. When the DNA of a cell is damaged by the action of free radicals, the result is the creation of imperfect new cells - or even malignant new cells, which form tumors and cancers.
Free radicals are the cause of most degenerative diseases, premature aging, and the creation of cancer cells.

Antioxidants are molecules which have one or more extra electrons and are chemically imbalanced with a negative electrical charge, so they can attract and "donate" an electron to a positively-charged free radical molecule, which balances its electrical charge and thus neutralizes it. So that "thieving" radical molecule which is now electrically balanced no longer needs to "steal" electrons from the molecules which form our body's cells.
Thus the more antioxidant molecules we have in our body, the more free radicals are neutralized, and the less damage is done to our cells. By preventing the damage to our DNA and mitochondria, antioxidants can stop and even reverse the aging process, and help prevent all kinds of degenerative diseases and cancers.

Raw cacao Antioxidant value and research

According to the extensive research, antioxidants such as epicatechins and polyphenols are found in abundance in raw cacao beans. Research has also demonstrated that the antioxidants in raw cacao are highly stable and easily available to human metabolism. Cacao nibs are reported to contain 10 grams of antioxidants for every 100 grams of beans. That a full 10% antioxidants!!
Eating raw chocolate can be an efficient and enjoyable way to boost your daily dose of antioxidants and reduce the ravages of free radicals. To get the benefits of high antioxidant concentration cacao needs to be consumed in raw unheated form.

More Flavonoids in Raw Cacao

Fresh cacao beans are super-rich in the type of bioflavonoid called flavonols which are strong antioxidants that help maintain healthy blood flow and blood pressure. Flavonols help make blood platelets less likely to stick together (which causes blood clots, heart attacks, and strokes) without the negative side effects associated with the use of aspirin (ASA) and other pharmaceutical blood-thinners.

Nitric Oxide (NO) One research study discovered that a substance in cacao helps the body process nitric oxide (a chemical compound designated as NO, where N = 1 Nitrogen atom, and O = 1 Oxygen atom). Nitric oxide or NO is a critical component in healthy blood flow and blood pressure control. Vascular diseases, including Erectile Dysfunction (ED) which is common in men over age 40, are connected to the inability of an artery to make the simple but fundamental chemical called nitric oxide (NO). It appears that flavonols help reverse that problem. Thus eating cacao might help men over 40 to enjoy a more active sex life without having to rely on expensive drugs like Viagra™ or Celebrex™ which have proven cardiovascular side effects.
Raw Cacao has 20 times more Flavinoids then cooked Cocoa

Compare the raw cocoa bean's 10,000 milligrams of flavonols per 100 grams to other forms of commercial chocolate. Processed cocoa powder (defatted and roasted cocoa beans treated with potassium carbonate) and chocolate candy range in flavonols content from the more common concentration of 500 milligrams of flavonols per 100 grams of normal chocolate bars, to a concentration of 5,000 milligrams (5 grams) of flavonols per 100 grams of Cocoapro cocoa powder from the Mars Corporation. Neither comes close to the high concentration of flavonols antioxidants in raw cocoa/cacao beans - 10 grams of flavonols per 100 grams.

Traditional Chocolate Processing Detrimental

Alkalizing cocoa beans reduces the total flavonoid content by two-thirds, reducing the antioxidant potential of the product, according to new research. Cocoa is alkalized during the manufacturing process to make it easier to mix and digest. Alkalization can also be applied to change the color of the product.

The health benefits of antioxidant-rich chocolate such as improvements to cardiovascular health have received much recognition in recent years, with positive findings from a number of studies.

Chocolate manufacturers are using high cocoa content (over 70 per cent) as a means of differentiation, and cocoa has also received attention for its potential in functional food applications.

However, the cocoa content does not necessarily mean that the flavonols content is high, as new research found that alkalizing has negative impacts on the flavonol levels.

Summary: Eat raw cacao beans or raw chocolate to get maximum antioxidant value.

Benefit #2 – Source of Minerals and Vitamins

Abundant Highly Absorbable and Bio Available Minerals

Cacao is an excellent source of the mineral magnesium, and a good source of sulphur, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium, and manganese; plus some of the B Vitamins.
Magnesium

The macro mineral that we lack the most is magnesium. It takes twice the amount of magnesium for even milligram of calcium to be absorbed. It is also a mineral that has highest turn over in the body and is needed for many bodily operations.

DID YOU KNOW?
Magnesium is more important than calcium, potassium or sodium as it is required to regulate them. Not many people are aware of the great roll magnesium plays in the proper functioning of the body. After oxygen and water, basic food magnesium may be the most important element needed by the body. It is so vitally important, yet nearly completely ignored. Magnesium activates over 300 different biochemical reactions for the body to function properly thus making it a very important mineral for the body. Everyone knows the serious consequences from the lack of oxygen, water and food, but very few realize the consequences of magnesium deficiency.

Magnesium: A Unique Mineral

Magnesium is a class of mineral unique unto itself. The renowned medical doctor and researcher Norman Shealy, MD, PhD states in his book, Holy Water, Sacred Oil, the Fountain of Youth, "Every known illness is associated with a magnesium deficiency…magnesium is the most critical mineral required for electrical stability of every cell in the body. A magnesium deficiency may be responsible for more diseases than any other nutrient."

"Some 350 different enzymes within the body rely on magnesium," says Burton M. Altura, of the State University of New York Health Science Center in Brooklyn, New York. Most health care professionals do not consider the underlying consequences of low magnesium levels and its importance to having good health.

Magnesium for the Heart and Brain

According to Bernard Jensen's research the heart muscle needs two minerals more than any other mineral. These minerals are magnesium and potassium. Magnesium is 18 times greater in the heart muscle than in the bloodstream. It is always low when there are heart problems. The overall strength and vigor of the heart muscle and its ability to pump effectively is enhanced by the presence of magnesium, and this important mineral also decreases blood coagulation and thus can lower blood pressure. It supports the digestive system (generally relieves constipation), builds strong bones and is associated with more happiness. It plays a key role in producing energy for the neurons in the brain from glucose. Magnesium balances brain chemistry. When there is an abundance of magnesium the brain works with clarity and focus.

Cacao beans are remarkably rich in magnesium, in fact, they are higher in magnesium than any other food except seaweed.

Cacao Also Contains the Following Important Unique Nutrients:

Sulphur: Cacao is high in the beauty mineral sulphur. Sulfur builds strong nails, hair, beautiful, shiny skin, detoxifies the liver, and supports healthy pancreas functioning. Anecdotal reports indicate that cacao detoxifies mercury because it is so high in sulphur.

Iron: Cacao contains 314% of the U.S. RDA of iron per 1 ounce (28 gram) serving. Iron is a critical mineral in nutrition. Iron is part of the oxygen carrying protein called hemoglobin that keeps our blood healthy.

Chromium: Chromium is an important trace mineral that helps balance blood sugar. Nearly 80% of Americans are deficient in this trace mineral. Chromium plays a significant role in detoxifying the liver from alcohols which build up during the fermentation process of sugars and starches when we overeat or make bad food choices.

Copper (.8mg per 100g) Copper enhances red blood cells ability to carry oxygen. The average woman is deficient in copper. A good source of copper is liver (the blood cleansing organ for animals), but wouldn't you rather eat chocolate?

Manganese: Manganese helps assist iron in the oxygenation of the blood and formation of hemoglobin. Interestingly, manganese is also concentrated in tears.

Zinc: Zinc plays a critical role in the immune system, liver, pancreas, and skin. Additionally, zinc is involved in thousands of enzymatic reactions throughout the human body.

Vitamin C: Cacao must be raw to contain vitamin C. All cooked and processed chocolate has no vitamin C. A one ounce (28 gram) serving of Cacao Beans supplies 21% of the U.S. RDA of Vitamin C. However, Cacao goes really well with fruits and greens that are high in Vitamin C and should be consumed together.

Benefit # 3 – Blissful Chemicals

We have all experienced the positive feelings associated with eating chocolate, now we have access to pure, raw, unadulterated chocolate in the form of organic raw cacao. This is much more potent than the processed chocolate and doesn't have any sugar or dairy products blocking the positive effects of all the goodies in raw cacao.

Mood elevators and Anti-depressants

Cacao is a great source of serotonin, dopamine, argenine, anandamide and phenylethylamine (PEA), four well-studied neurotransmitters, which are associated with feelings of well being and help alleviate depression. They are found in abundance in the brains of happy people and are particularly released when we are feeling happy. All these neurotransmitters are present in raw cacao in large enough quantities to affect the brain and lift our moods.
Serotonin (3mg/100g) and tyramine (2mg/100g) are also present in chocolate and provide a mild calming, balancing effect. Serotonin is the primary neurotransmitter in the human body. Serotonin is similar in its chemistry to tryptophan and melatonin. Serotonin helps us build up our “stress defense shield.”

Phenylethylamine (PEA) Phenylethylamine (PEA) is one of the most important compounds found in chocolate. PEA is also created within the brain and released when we are in love. This is one of the reasons why love and chocolate have a deep correlation. PEA also plays a role in increasing focus and alertness. PEA is followed closely by theobromine as the chocolate chemical most responsible for lifting depressions. Because PEA is heat sensitive, much of the PEA in conventional cooked and processed chocolate is missing.

Anandamide (The Bliss Chemical) A neurotransmitter called anandamide, has been isolated in cacao. Anandamide is also produced naturally in the brain. It is known as "The Bliss Chemical" because it is released when we are feeling good. It is also associated with the feeling of being in love.

MAO Inhibitors Cocoa contains monoamine oxidase inhibitors which help improve our mood because they allow serotonin and dopamine to remain in the bloodstream longer without being broken down. These inhibitors actually produce favorable results when consumed by allowing more serotonin and other neurotransmitters such as anandamide, dopamine, etc. to circulate in the brain.
With lower levels of MAO inhibitors there comes a decrease in neurotransmissions, creating physical rigidity, less creativity, less joy, and more aging. Cacao being an MAO inhibitor helps to stop this type of aging phenomenon.

Tryptophan: Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that is transformed into important stress-protective neurotransmitters including serotonin and melatonin. Tryptophan is heat sensitive and therefore it is “cooked out” in conventional processed chocolate.

B vitamins, which are associated with brain health. Also present in raw cacao This properties are significantly reduced by cooking and processing that occurs in conventional cocoa manufacturing.

Benefit # 4 - Healthy Stimulants

Cocoa/cacao can substantially increase a person's energy level, since it contains stimulating methylxanthines - a significant amount is theobromine. A mild stimulant, theobromine relaxes the smooth lining of the lung. The action of theobromine is truly relaxant, particularly for smooth muscle groups.
Caffeine not in Raw Cocoa and Chocolate

It is generally agreed that cocoa and chocolate are poor sources of caffeine. OMG raw chocolate does not contain caffeine because the chocolate made from cacao beans which had the surrounding membrane removed before processing will contain almost no caffeine. Our OMG Chocolate is made after first removing the outer shell containing the cacao nibs.

Most suppliers of cheaper cocoa powder grind up this outer membrane along with the beans, which helps to increase the yield and lower their cost of producing cocoa mass.

But when the membrane is removed before grinding them into cacao powder, the chocolate made from those more expensive beans will be of higher quality and essentially free of caffeine.
Research has shown caffeine contained in a heat-processed or cooked food had a stimulating effect on the body, however, that stimulating effect was not present when the caffeine came from a raw food.

Heart Healthy Theobromine

Cacao usually contains about 1% theobromine. Theobromine is an effective anti-bacterial substance and kills streptococci mutants (the primary organism that causes cavities). Theobromine is a chemical relative of caffeine but does not stimulate the nervous system like caffeine does. Theobromine dilates the cardiovascular system making the heart’s job easier. When stimulating the central nervous system, it relaxes smooth muscles and dilates blood vessels. This is why it has been used to treat high blood pressure.
Theobromine has about a quarter of the stimulating power of caffeine. It is also a mild diuretic and has been used as a medicinal drug when heart attack resulted in an accumulation of body fluid. This is one of the major reasons why cacao can be an important part of a heart healthy diet. Theobromine is not addictive, caffeine is.

Pet care precaution: Because theobromine is a cardiac stimulant. dogs should not eat cacao or chocolate. It has been known to cause a cardiac arrest (heart attack) in dogs, because of the stimulation to the heart. Dogs lack the enzymes necessary to metabolize quantities of theobromine in excess of 100-150 mg/kg of the dog's body weight.

Benefit # 5 - Healthy Fats

Cacao beans contain no sugar and between 12% and 50% fat depending on variety and growth conditions. There is no evidence to implicate cacao bean consumption with obesity. You may also be surprised to learn that dark chocolate can help you lose weight! Because it has appetite-suppressant properties, cocoa is often added to weight loss products to help control hunger. While you may have been told that chocolate is "fattening", the truth is that the fats found in cocoa butter are actually healthy fats!

Other Healthy Fats

Two-thirds of the fat in chocolate comes in the forms of a saturated fat called stearic acid (more than 30%) and a monounsaturated fat called oleic acid. However, unlike other saturated fats, stearic acid does not raise levels of LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream. Oleic acid, a heart-healthy monounsaturated fat which is also found in olive oil and is believed to raise the level of the "good cholesterol" known as HDL cholesterol (the acronym HDL stands for "High Density Lipid").Consuming relatively large amounts of raw cacao does not seem to raise serum LDL cholesterol levels; some studies even find that it could lower them. Cacao also contains essential omega 6 fatty acids, but only when it is RAW.

Raw cacao beans and chocolate nibs (pieces of peeled beans) do not cause facial blemishes, which may be attributed to the addition of sugar, milk products and the long list of additives found in commercial chocolates. Studies have been done to show that they don't contribute to weight gain, unlike commercial chocolate, but they may actually act to control or suppress the appetite.

“Every study on chocolate is pointing to the same conclusion: there is something in chocolate that is really good for us. That something is the raw cacao bean, the nut that all chocolate is made from. The cacao bean has always been and will always be Nature’s #1 weight loss and high-energy food. Cacao beans are probably the best kept secret in the entire history of food.” — David Wolfe, co-author of Naked Chocolate: The Astonishing Truth about the World’s Greatest Food.

OMG Chocolate - Mint (Sold Out)

4 gm. x 5

Each package of OMG Chocolate contains five 4 gram bite sized pieces of individually wrapped chocolate. Each piece contains 75% raw, certified organic chocolate. The raw chocolate is sweetened with Lakanto and flavored with organic essential oil of mint. These unique handcrafted chocolates truly are the most healthy chocolate you will find anywhere in this world…in fact, they are Heavenly!

(No Refrigeration required, will not melt at room temperature.)

OMG Chocolate - Orange (Sold Out)

4 gm. x 5

Each package of OMG Chocolate contains five 4 gram bite sized pieces of individually wrapped chocolate. Each piece contains 75% raw, certified organic chocolate. The raw chocolate is sweetened with Lakanto and flavored with organic essential oil of orange. These unique handcrafted chocolates truly are the most healthy chocolate you will find anywhere in this world…in fact, they are Heavenly!

(No Refrigeration required, will not melt at room temperature.)

List Price $9.95 (Sold Out)

We are so confident that you will be more than satisfied with your purchase of our All Natural, Zero Calorie, Zero Glycemic Index Sweetener, we are providing a 100% Money Back Guarantee so you can try it at NO RISK for 30 days!