open cacao pod full of cacao beans with an intact pod behind it on a bed of cacao beans - Atlantide Phototravel/Getty Images When you hear "cacao," your mind probably jumps to decadent chocolate ...

Many chocolate lovers already know that cacao is the heart of every chocolate treat. But cacao is more than just flavor. It ...

Medically reviewed by Aviv Joshua, MS, RDN Cacao, the raw beans from which chocolate is made, has many health properties because of its plant compounds, known as flavonoids. These compounds can aid in ...