Nibchoc Nutrition : Exploding the Fat and Calorie Myth

We are frequently asked: how can nibchoc be made of ‘all good things’? A common assumption is that, because it contains a fat (Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil), it is sweet (from Agave Nectar and Yacon Root) and it is a chocolate-related treat, it must be bad for you and loaded with calories! The joy of nibchoc is that, while it is a delicious cacao treat, it is not unhealthy and all its calories are nutritious ones that can help you to stay healthy and trim. Here we explain how this can be.

Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

Let’s begin with Coconut Oil. Coconut Oil is a much misunderstood ‘fat’. It is important to be aware that our bodies need a certain amount of fat. Coconut Oil provides this in a very nutritious form, while also possessing many healing properties beyond that of any other dietary oil. Even though Coconut Oil is high in calories (about nine calories per gram), the body burns off these calories far more quickly than it would calories from other fat sources. This is because, unlike other saturated fats (such as butter), Coconut Oil contains a lot of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), which are absorbed directly by the liver and burn very much like carbohydrate. Coconut Oil can also raise the metabolic rate and help the body to burn fat more effectively. Because it speeds up the metabolism, it is also reputed to be good for a healthy heart (it contains no cholesterol) and to be good for losing weight.

In terms of healing properties, it is reported that Coconut Oil can help with candida problems (it contains caprylic acid), hyperthyroidism, diabetes (by improving insulin secretion and utilisation of blood glucose), pancreatic and thyroid function, the absorption of vitamins and minerals (particularly calcium and magnesium), digestive problems and boosting the immune system. Approximately 50% of the MCT in Coconut Oil is lauric acid (also found in breast milk), which is transformed into a substance called "monolaurin" in the human body, and this has antibacterial and antiviral properties.

With all these properties, Coconut Oil works together with all the other amazing ingredients in nibchoc to create an uncompromisingly nutritious and delicious product that provides instant and ongoing energy.

Organic Cacao Nibs: ‘The Food of the Gods’

Analysis of Cacao (“raw chocolate”) shows that it contains over 300 chemically identifiable compounds that make it a raw powerhouse of nutrition. This extreme nutrition gets diluted in the manufacture of ordinary chocolate, which is also made from Cacao. Amongst its many nutritional virtues, Cacao is rich in stable and easily metabolized antioxidants – it has a higher concentration of antioxidants than green tea, blueberries or broccoli! Cacao contains 120 good calories per 28g (roughly only 60 calories per bar), and it also contains MAO inhibitors, which may explain why studies that suggest that cacao suppresses appetite – the dieter's dream.

Nibchoc lovers have reported feeling the diuretic benefits of nibchoc (due to the theobromine in Cacao), which is very useful for treating PMT, and other conditions associated with excess body fluid. In addition, Cacao contains phenylethylamine (PEA) which helps us to stay alert, and anandamide which is known as the ‘bliss chemical’, not only contributing to improving mood but also dubbed ‘Nature’s Viagra’! The benefits are apparently amazing… For more information on how Cacao can help to keep you healthy, happy, alert and energised, see our Ingredients page.

Organic Agave Nectar

Organic Agave Nectar sweetens nibchoc naturally. Agave Nectar is a honey-like syrup from a cactus-related plant, ‘The Blue Weber Agave’, which is often associated with Tequila. Agave Nectar has a low glycemic index value (between 11 & 19) – it is 90% fructose which is a slow-release carbohydrate. Thus, nibchoc will increase and sustain energy levels without sending blood sugar levels soaring and crashing, in the way that other foods sweetened with refined sugar do. This ‘low glycaemic’ effect allows you to stay focused and energized, helping to enhance physical and mental performance. For those counting calories, Agave Nectar contains approximately 40 calories per bar.

Yacon Root

With all the amazing properties of nibchoc’s ingredients you would think it would be impossible to highlight one ingredient as a favourite. However here at nibchoc we are passionate about the little known ‘Yacon’, a root vegetable grown in Peru. In Brazil, Yacon is known as ‘The Diabetic Potato’. It can be eaten fresh or dried and has only 15 – 20 calories per 100g (each bar of nibchoc contains approximately 5g of Yacon ie approx 1 calorie!). The sweetness of Yacon Root, is in the form of inulin which, while it is deliciously sweet to taste (it is an incredible 70% sweeter than sugar), it is a sugar that is not digested by the body, thus keeping its calorific value very low. Yacon also has pre-biotic functions and can help toward a healthy digestive system, acting as a gentle detox agent. Like Coconut Oil, it is also believed to help your immune system, reduce cholesterol and assist in fighting such infections as candida. If this weren’t enough, it is believed that Yacon also increases the absorption of calcium and important bone mineral density by 21 -34%. Yacon thus may help significantly with osteoporosis. Each bar of nibchoc contains half the recommended daily amount of Yacon.

Organic Seed Blend

Much has been written about the benefits of seeds. Goji & Seed nibchoc contains a unique Organic Seed Blend – flax seeds, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds in a special proportion, which have been ground together to release the oils within the seeds so as to optimise their nutritional benefits, as well as their taste. Grinding the Blend also ensures that the seeds are easier to digest.

Nibchoc’s unique Seed Blend contains Omega 3 and 6 (essential fatty acids), as well as all 9 essential amino acids (the building blocks that build, maintain and repair body tissues). It is rich in protein, low in carbohydrates and free of cholesterol and gluten. To top it off, the Seed Blend is organic and contains an extraordinary list of vitamins and minerals, including: beta-carotene, zinc, iron, phosphorus, vitamin E, potassium, calcium, selenium, copper, zinc, folate, B-group vitamins, magnesium, sulphur, manganese, silicon, copper, nickel, molybdenum, chromium, cobalt...

These are but the highlights of nibchoc’s nutritional star qualities. In sum, nibchoc really does taste so good because it is so good for you. This is what nibchoc is all about – feeding your bodies the nutrition that they crave, naturally and with uncompromisingly good taste. Further information about nibchoc’s individual ingredients can be found on the Ingredients webpage. Every ingredient that we use has been carefully and ethically selected to add something special and beneficial to nibchoc. As we say, all good things, and without the guilt.

For full nutritional analyses, see the information provided for individual nibchoc varieties on the shop page of this website.