Journal

Jason Proffitt
This is Your Brain on Cacao: the Lab Report, Part III

This is Your Brain on Cacao: the Lab Report, Part III

In the first two editions of the “Lab Report”, we learned how certain chemicals in ceremonial cacao help support our energy levels and cardiovascular health. But what about our mood? Much has been made of the emotional elements of cacao consumption–reports of elation and heightened wellbeing abound. What might be the chemical components of these phenomena? Let’s explore cacao’s mental magic in this part III of the Lab Report. The long journey up top: tryptophan in ceremonial cacao As we move from the cardiovascular complex to the head, we must detour through the gut. It is here where the majority–up...

Read more →


Jason Proffitt
On the Importance of Ritual

On the Importance of Ritual

The alarm goes off. You reach over to hit snooze for just five more minutes of peace. When you finally come to after the third alarm, it really is time to get up. But since this alarm is on your phone, you take a quick scroll through the ‘Gram, maybe get sucked into a work email after taking a quick check through your messages. And the cycle of constant stimulus continues. Modern life can mean endless fatigue if you let it–and most of us let it. It is reaching a point that the majority of us need to treat our...

Read more →


Francisco Olivari
Cacao with Psychedelics: a Conversation with Lana Pribic of Modern Psychedelics

Cacao with Psychedelics: a Conversation with Lana Pribic of Modern Psychedelics

“Plant medicine” is a term that has risen in popularity for Western cultures in the past decade. The term is often misused as a general description for non-pharmacological based therapies–meaning it lumps together plants, fungi, chemical and even animal-based therapies (think kambo). It is also colloquially related to psychedelics. This correlation is so prevalent, that many people think Cacao is a type of psychedelic plant medicine. To clarify, it is not. Cacao is a non-psychedelic plant that can support integration after psychedelic experiences. Meet Lana Pribic, the founder of Modern Psychedelics, a podcast and community aimed to bridge the spirituality...

Read more →


Jason Proffitt
The Lab Report, Part II: The Antioxidant Superpowers of Cacao

The Lab Report, Part II: The Antioxidant Superpowers of Cacao

In part I of this “Lab Report” series, we focused on the stimulative compounds of cacao: theobromine and caffeine. We learned that the primary stimulant, theobromine, works to prime the cardiovascular system through its smooth-muscle relaxant action. But does it do this on its own? No, not entirely. When it comes to vascular stimulation and protection, theobromine forms just half of cacao’s dynamic duo. The other half? Polyphenols. Whole cacao is packed with a class of polyphenols known as flavanols. Simply, these are plant-derived antioxidants of a particular chemical structure. While there is a complex web of sub-classification of antioxidant...

Read more →