Protein & Nutrition Blog – Marmels

Bar chart of antioxidant score (ORAC per 100 g): raw cacao powder 95,500, dark chocolate 20,800, wild blueberries 9,600 and blackberries 5,900

Protein & Nutrition Blog – Marmels

Is Cacao a Superfood? What the Science Actually Says

by Mo Mandegar, PhD on Jun 12 2026
The cacao bean carries more folklore than almost any food, and modern science has spent two decades sorting the real nutrition from the marketing. Raw cacao ranks among the most antioxidant-dense foods measured and supplies magnesium, iron, and mood compounds like theobromine. Here is what the evidence supports, what it doesn't, and why heavy processing quietly strips away most of the benefit.