If coffee comes from a plant, why is it often accepted in the carnivore community while cacao can bring somebody’s entire way of eating into question?
I’ve seen people drink coffee and call themselves carnivore, then criticize someone else for using cacao. Not everybody thinks that way, of course. But when it happens, I think it’s worth asking whether we’re using the same standard for both.
This isn’t an argument that everyone should consume cacao, or that coffee is bad. It’s a chance to look at both, consider the facts, and notice where our attention goes when a label becomes more important than the choices we’re actually making.
Both come from plants
Coffee comes from the seeds of the coffee plant. Cacao comes from the seeds of the cacao tree. By a strict animal-only definition, neither one is an animal food.
That doesn’t mean they’re identical. They contain different compounds, are prepared differently, and may affect people differently. It does mean that if being plant-derived is the reason one is rejected, consistency asks us to look at the other one too.
And if you’ve chosen coffee as an exception because it works for you, I think someone else can evaluate cacao in the same way.
Coffee: Familiar doesn’t mean invisible
Coffee contains caffeine and plant compounds, including chlorogenic acids. Research has found associations between coffee consumption and a number of health outcomes. Much of that evidence is observational, though, which means it can show a relationship without proving coffee caused the outcome.
The caffeine content varies. The FDA gives a range of about 113 to 247 milligrams in 12 ounces of brewed coffee, depending on how it’s made. Some people enjoy coffee without noticing problems. Others experience anxiety, a racing heart, digestive discomfort, or disrupted sleep.
Sleep has been one of my own bottlenecks. That means coffee is something I can observe honestly, rather than assuming it has no effect just because it’s part of my routine. How much am I drinking? When am I drinking it? How do I sleep and feel afterward?
Preparation can matter too. Research suggests unfiltered coffee can affect LDL cholesterol differently from paper-filtered coffee.
Cacao: Look at the actual ingredient
Unsweetened cacao or cocoa isn’t the same thing as a candy bar. Just as I wouldn’t compare plain black coffee to a sugary coffee drink and call them identical, I don’t think we should treat unsweetened cacao and every chocolate product as the same thing.
Cocoa contains flavanols, including epicatechin and catechin. A review of controlled trials found that flavanol-rich cocoa products produced modest average reductions in blood pressure. That’s interesting, but it doesn’t prove that every cocoa product has the same effect or that eating chocolate prevents disease. Processing changes flavanol content, and a label alone doesn’t tell us the dose used in a study.
Cacao also contains theobromine and some caffeine. It isn’t stimulant-free, and the amount depends on the product and serving. It’s worth observing how it affects your energy and sleep rather than assuming it will have the same effect for everyone.
Why I decided to try cacao
I’ve always enjoyed chocolate, especially chocolate candy. So when I heard cacao contains magnesium, it caught my attention. My thought was pretty simple: “I could use a little magnesium. Let’s try some of this.”
That gave me a reason to explore an ingredient with a flavor I already enjoyed and see how I could use it in a way that fit the choices I was making. My chocolate butter bars are one example of what came out of that curiosity.
Cocoa powder contains minerals including magnesium, iron, copper, and manganese. The amount depends on the product and serving. For a point of reference, USDA data for about one tablespoon of generic unsweetened cocoa powder lists approximately 27 mg magnesium, 0.75 mg iron, 0.21 mg copper, and 0.21 mg manganese. That magnesium amount is roughly 6% of the general Daily Value used on nutrition labels, so it’s a contribution, not a complete solution to someone’s magnesium needs.
Those figures describe what’s in the powder, not necessarily how much the body absorbs. Products and individual needs differ, so I look at the actual serving and the rest of what I’m eating rather than assuming cacao is a fix for anything.
For me, adding cacao didn’t mean abandoning the direction I’d chosen. I was still focused on eating natural foods and remaining aligned with my chosen reality, while allowing something I enjoyed that added to my diet and lifestyle.
That was my choice based on what I wanted to explore and how it fit into my life. Someone else might make a different choice, and that’s okay. The point is to observe, respond, and decide what alignment looks like for yourself.
The pendulum and the label
In Reality Transurfing, a pendulum is a useful way to think about a collective pattern that draws people’s attention and energy. For me, a dietary argument can become one of those patterns: someone says an ingredient doesn’t belong, someone else takes the hook, and before long the conversation is about defending a label instead of learning from our experience.
Cacao is just one example. What happens if somebody has a strawberry, seasons a steak, or uses olive oil? For some people, any one of those choices becomes a reason to question whether that person is “really carnivore.”
If your goal is a strict animal-only elimination, knowing that those are plant foods matters. You may choose to leave them out for a reason. But somebody else may be following a different approach and making a conscious choice about what they include.
We can discuss those differences without turning every ingredient into a test of someone’s identity. I’d rather understand what I’m choosing, why I’m choosing it, and how it affects me than spend my energy defending a label.
The hook is the need to prove who’s right. Once we take it, the argument can pull our attention away from our own goals. I can observe the conversation, decide whether there’s anything useful in it, and remain aligned without needing to fight everybody who sees it differently.
Supporting progress over labels
More people are starting to pay attention to what they eat and make choices centered on natural, whole foods. Shouldn’t we be happy about that? Shouldn’t we support someone taking a step toward a way of living that feels better for them, even if their plate doesn’t look exactly like ours?
When we become so attached to a label that we dismiss somebody else’s progress, that label can become a limiting belief. It can keep us focused on what separates us instead of what we’re working toward.
For me, consciousness means being willing to observe, learn, and respond. We can share our experiences and what’s worked for us while leaving room for somebody else to discover their own path.
What’s worth looking at?
Instead of starting with the label, I’d start with the product and your purpose.
- What are the ingredients, and how much am I consuming?
- How does it fit the approach I’ve chosen? Am I doing a strict elimination or a broader version of carnivore?
- How do I feel afterward? What happens to my sleep, energy, digestion, and appetite over time?
- Am I comparing similar products, or comparing plain coffee with sweetened chocolate?
Cocoa products can contain varying amounts of lead and cadmium. That’s worth looking into, particularly with regular, larger servings; product-specific testing can be helpful. Cocoa can also contribute oxalate, which may matter for people with certain kidney-stone or health concerns. Coffee has its own considerations, including caffeine and preparation.
Those questions are about gathering information, not creating fear around either ingredient. If you have a health condition or concerns about how a food affects you, a qualified clinician can help you evaluate your situation.
Observe. Respond. Remain aligned.
I’m not claiming cacao is universally healthier than coffee. Both have interesting properties and both have considerations. The evidence doesn’t establish a single winner for everyone.
What I am asking is whether we can apply the same curiosity and standard to both. Observe the facts and your own experience. Respond to what you learn. Then remain aligned with the approach you’ve consciously chosen, rather than handing that decision over to an argument.
Joe
Sources: FDA caffeine guidance; Cochrane review of cocoa and blood pressure; BMJ review of coffee research; USDA cocoa data; FDA Daily Values; study of metals in cocoa products; NIDDK on diet and kidney stones.