Chocamine: A Cocoa Extract For Memory, Focus, and Concentration

What Is Chocamine^®?

Chocamine^® is a patented cocoa-based ingredient that delivers the best of chocolate—its taste, aroma and health benefits—without the guilt, sugar, fat and dairy.

Click Here To Buy Chocamine^® Cocoa Extract Powder

Chocamine is a unique, patented extract of Theobroma cacao (better known as just cacao) and even more well known as a favorite guilty pleasure: chocolate! Cacao has a long list of beneficial health effects. Unfortunately, these cacao benefits cannot be obtained from most chocolate. In fact, the sugar and fat content in the majority of chocolate may actually have negative health effects. Consuming raw cacao, on the other hand, is a great way to obtain cacao benefits. However, there are inconsistencies between raw cacao, and for some people, raw cacao is a bit of an acquired taste. This is where Chocamine can become a great option for obtaining cacao benefits.

Chocamine is a cocoa extract, that has a very pleasant flavor with no sugar and no fat, allowing you to experience cacao benefits without any guilt while still enjoying a great cocoa flavor. Chocamine also has some added theobromine in it, which helps boost energy levels. Theobromine is related to caffeine and actually works on some of the same receptor systems as caffeine, yet it is longer lasting, smoother, and significantly less jittery than caffeine. Combined with all of the beneficial cocoa compounds contained within Chocamine; the extra theobromine ensures a smooth, energizing and mood-lifting effect profile! Chocamine would also make a great caffeine alternative for those trying to minimize caffeine consumption or for those that are too sensitive to the effects of caffeine.

Cacao vs Cocoa

At this point you may be slightly confused by us switching back and forth between cAcAo and cOcOa. The difference between cocoa and cacao is that cocoa is a defatted product that is made from raw cacao. Cacao is the actual bean, whereas cocoa is just a slightly processed and defatted cacao. Other than this, there is no major difference between cocoa and cacao effects-wise. Since Chocamine is produced from a defatted extract of the cacao bean, it is considered a cocoa extract rather than a cacao extract. With this is mind, for the rest of the article, we will be referring to Chocamine as cocoa rather than cacao. We hope that cleared up any confusion. Now, let's get back to the blog!

So what are these great cocoa benefits we have been talking about? Chocamine has been shown to possess the following benefits, which we will be focusing in more in depth in the rest of this article:

• • • May help promote a positive mood
    • May help promote cognitive function
    • May help promote healthy cardiovascular function
    • May be used as a functional food ingredient

Chocolate is often associated with happy emotions and while chocolate itself may promote a positive mood through it being a tasty treat, a cocoa extract like Chocamine contains a plethora of compounds which have been shown to promote a positive mood. Some of these compounds are:

• • • Theobromine
    • Amino acids
    • Nutritious minerals
    • Biogenic amines
    • Fatty acid neurotransmitters
    • Polyphenols

Similar to caffeine, the theobromine content of Chocamine can help increase energy levels. However, theobromine does this in a much smoother manner than caffeine, which translates to a more gentle lift of spirits. Through our personal testing at the office, we likened this feeling to waking up after a great night of sleep. It feels natural and subtle. Chocamine will not push you into artificial happiness, but it will gently and naturally lift your spirits which can bring about a pleasantly, positive mood.

Chocamine also contains some minor compounds which have been found to act on the cannabinoid system. The two primary compounds are N-linoleoylethanolamide and N-oleoylethanolamide, which both help slow down the breakdown of anandamide. Anandamide is one of the primary endocannabinoids in our body and has been shown to work on various different systems throughout the body. Cocoa itself also contains minor concentrations of anandamide, however, anandamide has a hard time crossing the blood brain barrier which renders the small amount of anandamide in cocoa practically useless. Through the presence of N-linoleoylethanolamide and N-oleoylethanolamide in cocoa, cocoa can still enhance anandamide signaling in the brain by slowing its breakdown. Through increasing anandamide signaling, Chocamine may be able to increase cannabinoid activity in the brain, which may help promote a positive and relaxed mood.

When we go back in history, to the first uses of cocoa, it was often combined with chili peppers and vanilla beans. Part of the reason for this was to produce certain flavor profiles, however, it is now also believed that they can boost the mood-enhancing effects of cocoa. Current research has shown that the main active compound in chili peppers, capsaicin, and the main active compound in vanilla beans, vanillin, can act on the TRPV1 receptors. When TRPV1 receptors get activated by compounds such as capsaicin and vanillin, endogenous production and release of anandamide is increased. Combine this with the effects cocoa has on anandamide breakdown, and voila, anandamide signaling is greatly enhanced! This gives further evidence that the mood-enhancing effects of cocoa may be primarily due to the effects it can have on anandamide signaling. It also may make for an interesting and spicy cocoa beverage that may help promote a positive mood!

Not only may cocoa help promote a positive mood, it also has other beneficial effects on the brain that may help enhance cognitive function! In particular, the theobromine content of Chocamine combined with its polyphenol content, can help hone in focus and may help promote memory and learning. It was recently discovered that theobromine may help enhance cognitive function by enhancing activity in a part of our brains called the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). The mPFC is highly involved in executive function, attention, and short-term memory. Supplementation of theobromine may be able to enhance activity in the mPFC, in addition to enhancing neuroplasticity in the mPFC. Theobromine achieves this by acting on a complex cascade of signaling systems that ultimately ends up increasing brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in the mPFC. BDNF is a protein that is mostly responsible for the growth and change that occurs throughout our brain, a process which is often referred to as neuroplasticity. By enhancing BDNF levels in the mPFC, in addition to increasing activity in the mPFC, Chocamine (through its theobromine content) may help enhance many aspects of cognitive function!

On the slightly more straightforward side, Chocamine can be stimulating. Through its stimulation, theobromine is able to hone in our focus and make it easier to sustain focus for longer periods of time. The stimulating effects of Chocamine will also make it easier to complete the more monotonous and boring tasks in life that have to get done but are always so hard to get motivated for!

What good is a healthy brain when the main system fueling the brain, our cardiovascular system, is not running at optimal efficiency? Luckily, the polyphenols in cocoa have been shown to have a positive effect on our cardiovascular health and may even help promote overall cardiovascular health!

Chocamine, through its polyphenol content, may be able to help enhance blood flow by enhancing nitric oxide signaling. Specifically, it may help boost nitric oxide signaling through an enzyme called endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). This enzyme is located on blood vessels, and by increasing nitric oxide output within blood vessels, Chocamine may be able to help relax blood vessels thus allowing for better blood flow. This enhanced blood flow has even been shown to potentially enhance cognitive function by increasing blood flow and oxygenation within the brain!

In addition to cocoa’s beneficial effects on blood flow, Chocamine’s polyphenol content may also help promote healthy levels of cholesterol. By promoting healthy cholesterol levels, Chocamine may be able to further help promote overall cardiovascular function.

CHOCAMINE^® PROVIDES Caffeine-Free Energy

In addition to chocolate, we also have a love/hate relationship with caffeine. We love the instant energy and cognitive boost, but hate the jitters, stomach aches, sleep problems and dependency issues that come with it. The energy from theobromine differs from caffeine.

Theobromine, the energizing compound found naturally in cocoa, offers a nourishing energy boost that is more sustained than the crash-and-burn energy from caffeine. Both caffeine and theobromine are xanthine alkaloids, but the similarities end there.

• • • Theobromine has a milder stimulating effect, resulting in jitter-free energy.
    • Theobromine has a longer half-life in the body, thereby providing longer-lasting. energy
    • Theobromine has been shown to have less of an effect on sleep than caffeine.
    • Theobromine is less addictive than caffeine, due to differences in adenosine receptor activity.

In our opinion, one of the most exciting properties of Chocamine is its excellent flavor profile. To us, it tastes like a very high-quality cocoa powder and has a very pleasant flavor profile when added to foods and drinks. In fact, Chocamine even contains some spices such as ginger, allspice and cinnamon to create an even more pleasant flavor experience. With this in mind, we decided to develop some tasty recipes using Chocamine that are quick and easy to make and require very little prep work.

One of our main considerations with this product was to create healthy breakfast foods that can easily be prepared the night before. This then gives you a great Chocamine-infused breakfast that you can just grab out of the fridge in the morning to give you long lasting energy! Another consideration was that these recipes could not use heat, as heat may degrade some of the more delicate compounds contained within Chocamine. So, let's dive into the recipes!

Chocamine^® Chia Seed Pudding

First on the list is a very healthy breakfast food: a chia seed pudding. Chia seeds are chock-full of omega-3 fatty acids and slow releasing starches. This makes them a great breakfast food to fill you up and give you long lasting energy. Chocamine really compliments the chia seed pudding, both flavor and effects-wise.

Chocamine Chia Seed Pudding Ingredients

To make the Chocamine infused chia seed pudding, you will need the following ingredients:

1. 1. 24 grams of chia seeds
   2. 120 mL of liquid (we used vanilla oat milk)
   3. 1 gram (1,000 mg) chocamine
   4. Sweetener of choice (more on this later)

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Stir well so that all of the ingredients are thoroughly mixed together. Then cover your bowl and place it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, you will have a perfectly set, chocolate chia seed pudding.

Now, before you dive in, you will want to sweeten the chia seed pudding to taste. We left the type and amount of sweetener out as sweeteners and sweetness level is something most people have a strong personal preference for. We decided to spice things up a little bit with our chia seed pudding and made some espresso simple syrup, using just sugar and a shot of espresso. It tasted great and the espresso gave it a bit of an extra flavor and effects kick!

Chocamine^® Overnight Oats

For our second recipe, we went with a classic breakfast food staple: oats. Similar to chia seeds, oats are very healthy and contain a large amount of beta-glucans which may help promote cardiovascular function! Again, we did not want to use any heat, so we decided to develop a Chocamine oats recipe using the concept of overnight oats. Basically, you combine your oats with a liquid of choice and let it sit overnight until the oats have softened up and are ready to eat. It is simple to make and requires very little prep work. Plus, it is super tasty!

Chocamine Overnight Oats Ingredients

To make the Chocamine infused overnight oats, you will need the following ingredients:

1. 1. 40 grams oats
   2. 80 mL of liquid (we used vanilla oat milk)
   3. 1 gram (1,000 mg) chocamine
   4. Sweetener of choice (more on this later)

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Stir well so that all of the ingredients are thoroughly mixed together. Then cover your bowl and place it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, you will have a perfect bowl of chocolate-y oats that are soft yet chewy!

Now, before you dive in, you will want to sweeten the overnight oats to taste. We left the type and amount of sweetener out, as sweeteners and sweetness level is something most people have a strong personal preference for. For the overnight oats, we went with Stevia as a sweetener in order to take advantage of the low-glycemic load of the overnight oats!

Chocamine^® Cold Brew Coffee

We would argue that the best thing about our mornings is a nice cup of coffee! Since Nootropics Depot is located in sunny Arizona, and it is hot most of the year, we especially love a good cold brew! So, we decided to develop a recipe that would infuse Chocamine into the cold brew. The results blew us away! In fact, if you use a good coffee you can really double-down on the chocolate flavors you often find in a good cold brew. Best of all, the extra caffeine from the coffee gives a serious kick to the mood-boosting and stimulating effects of Chocamine!

Chocamine Cold Brew Coffee Ingredients

To make the Chocamine infused cold brew, you will need the following ingredients:

1. 1. 25 grams of coarsely ground coffee
   2. 250 mL of water
   3. 1 gram (1,000 mg) of Chocamine

Combine all of the ingredients in a mason jar or glass bottle, shake it up a few times and put it in the fridge. In our experience, longer extraction times will lead to better flavor so we would recommend 16-24 hours. However, the cold brew will also turn out fine with just an overnight extraction. Once you are ready to drink your Chocamine-infused cold brew, just run it through a coffee filter and voila, you have Chocamine infused cold brew! We like to drink it straight, but it does have a strong flavor that would stand up well to some sweetener and cream/milk.

The best way to make this recipe in our opinion would be to batch brew. When we made our recipe, we multiplied everything by 4, yielding 4 cups of Chocamine-infused cold brew. Cold brew will keep in the fridge for a few days, so it’s much easier to just make a bigger batch and enjoy it throughout the week!

Chocamine^® Banana Ice Cream

We also wanted to do a more indulgent recipe, and what’s more indulgent than chocolate ice cream? However, since we are trying to make healthy recipes, we decided to try out an easy and healthy ice cream recipe that requires very little work. You take a banana, chop it up, freeze it and then blend it once it is fully frozen. This results in a delicious and creamy ice cream-like texture that doesn’t require the addition of any sweeteners. We decided to infuse Chocamine into this recipe, and it turned out to be much more delicious than anyone could have predicted. Best of all, it is very easy to make!

Chocamine Banana Ice Cream Ingredients

To make the Chocamine infused banana ice cream, you will need the following ingredients:

1. 1. One chopped up, frozen banana
   2. 1 gram (1,000 mg) Chocamine

Chop up the banana and put it into a plastic bag or some sort of reusable and sealable container. Place in the freezer for a few hours until fully frozen. We just put the bananas in overnight. Put the chopped up bananas in a blender or food processor, and start blending. You will likely end up with something that looks a little bit crumbly at first but this is totally ok! Once you have reached the crumbly stage, stop the blender and add the Chocamine powder. Wait a few minutes for the crumbly, frozen banana to soften up a bit and then start blending at high speed. This will whip some air into the Chocamine-infused banana ice cream, giving it a smooth, creamy, yet fluffy mouth-feel. Enjoy!