MYTH: Chocolate contains NO CAFFEINE

Contrary to what many may wish to believe, cocoa / chocolate does contain small amounts of caffeine. Additionally, you may have heard chocolate evangelists claiming that it’s an “ALL-NATURAL” form of caffeine. Well, yes it is a natural form of caffeine, but so is guaranine found in guarana, mateine found in mate, and theine found in tea leaves. The basic chemical structure is still indistinguishable. However, the synergistic relationship will differ from one source of caffeine to another. AND, just because something is “ALL-NATURAL” does not guarantee that it’s healthy, safe, etc. With that said, I’d much rather see individuals drinking green tea, coffee, and consuming dark chocolate in order to get their caffeine fix, rather than resulting to synthetic caffeine pill, soda pop, etc.

The DARK-SIDE of chocolate.

The darker the chocolate, the higher the caffeine content will be. There’s approximately 6-20mg of caffeine per ounce of chocolate. You can compare this to about 15-40mg of caffeine per 8oz cup of green tea, or 60-120mg of caffeine per 8oz cup of coffee. One Hershey’s dark chocolate bar (1.5oz) contains approximately 30mg of caffeine.

Caffeine is a mild central nervous system stimulant and is thought to have a mild diuretic affect. Additionally, caffeine acts as an appetite suppressant, helps to mobilize stored body fat, and may have a positive effect on mood, mental alertness, and physical performance. However, too much caffeine can cause irritability, insomnia, nervousness, anxiety and withdrawal. Typical withdrawal symptoms may include; headache, fatigue, drowsiness, depression, and muscle pains. Even small amounts in certain individuals may produce undesirable symptoms. Caffeine can be found in over 60 different plants. Coffee beans, tea leaves, kola nuts, guarana berries, and yerba mate all contain varying amounts caffeine. Lending to its low caffeine content, chocolate is not likely to be problematic unless one consumes large quantities. However, chocolate also contains small amounts of Theobromine.

Theobromine is an alkaloid similar to that of caffeine in both structure and function. However, Theobromine has a milder effect on the central nervous system. Theobromine is a mild stimulant and diuretic, similar to that of caffeine. Additionally, it’s said to have effects on blood pressure and heart rate. Theobromine also has a bronchodialating effect that may be beneficial for those that suffer from certain respiratory disorders. Theobromine is toxic to animals as they don’t have the ability to detox / break down the compound as efficiently has humans are able to. So don’t feed your dog chocolate!!

Additionally, cocoa / chocolate also contains phenylethylamine, tryptophan, and a variety of antioxidants (Catechins and Phenols). Researchers believe that chocolate, particularly dark chocolate may have some positive health benefits (blood pressure control, heart health, etc.).

Chocolate does contain caffeine, BUT is this a bad thing??? How much is too much? Decaffeinated chocolate, would this be a good thing?? Has nature packaged cocoa in a certain way for a reason??

Everything at a certain dose can be lethal. YES chocolate and even WATER.

Most experts would agree that along with a healthy lifestyle, daily caffeine dosage of up to 300 mg is not harmful to most people. The average adult intake of caffeine is approximately 200mg which is equivalent to 1-2 cups of coffee per day “or half of one of those “EXTRA LARGE” Tim’s Coffees. The problem arises when the average joe does not live a healthy lifestyle, and has tendency to use caffeine as a clutch in order to get through the day.

Be sensible, limit you caffeine intake to about 200 mg of caffeine per day. Keep your caffeine intake irregular, vary the time of day and the amount consumed per week to avoid becoming dependent. Add low fat milk, fortified soy beverage, etc. to offset any discrepancies in calcium balance when drinking coffee. Add dark green vegetables rich in calcium to your diet if you have a tendency to drink a ton of tea or eat a lot dark chocolate. Avoid consuming too much caffeine late in the afternoon, caffeine promotes wakefulness and its effects can linger for up to 12hrs. If you’re pregnant, or breast feeding, or plan on becoming pregnant, consider limiting your caffeine intake (talk to your health care provider about this). Avoid over consuming any one type of caffeine, YES that goes for CHOCOLATE To.

AND, don’t forget that chocolate contains calories, a lot of them! Therefore, if you over consume chocolate calories you’ll have less room for other more nutrient dense foods (dark green leafy veggies, etc.)!!! And, you may run the risk of consuming too many calories all together. We all know what that can lead to (obesity, diabetes, heart disease, etc.). A small piece of dark chocolate, a TBS of raw cocoa nibs, or a tsp of cocoa powder every other day, or a few times per week is a great way to reap some of the chocolate benefits without going overboard.

Myth Busted!

Pub Med Abstact