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This morning's show of "The People's Pharmacy" was about the health benefits of chocolate.
According to their guest (an expert on chocolate chemistry) chocolate has lots of wonderful phytochemicals, it lowers cholesterol, it does not have stimulant effects and it does not cause migraines.
I suppose that guy also believes in the Easter Bunny.
I really, really like chocolate. I eat it every day, but I DON'T eat it for the health benefits. I'm always suspicious of extravagant claims for specific foods.
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Hmmm, regarding it does not have stimulant effects, I'd have to say personal experiments disagree. It certainly seems to help me, for short periods of time (10 to 20 minutes), immediately after a chocolate candy bar.
And it seems too quick for it to be just the ingestion of the (I admit very not needed) calories. If it's not a stimulant absorbed, it's one hell of a placebo effect.
roger
The 'expert' on the radio broadcast claimed that chocolate did not have a stimulant effect and did not cause migraines. He was clearly wrong on both counts. That makes me question his other assertions about the health effects of chocolate, much as I would like to believe them.
During WWII GI's were issued a lot of Giant Chocolate bars. They believed it boosted energy.
I usually eat 6-10 Hershey's chocolate Kisses each day. Haven't noticed anything. Hmmm...caffeien. I once, many years ago, got completly high on drinking too much iced tea. Didn't intend or know that it could be dangerous.
'They' say chocolate is derived from the cocoa bean similiar to the coke bean used to make the illegal drug "coke". Same with Coca-Cola in the old days.
Remember as a youngster it was said to 'kill' a headache was to take asprin with Coca-Cola.
I'm not completely sure of the pharmacology involved, but my understanding is that one of the ingredients in chocolate (theobromine) has effects very similar to those of caffeine. There are people who find chocolate can help with migraine just as caffeine can, but the flip side of that is that chocolate can precipitate migraine just like caffeine can. A lot depends on the quantity and the timing.
Hi, Roger.
Lots of folks find the same -- in fact, I've seen criticiasm of the chocolate mint on the pillow (in upscale hotels) as "wishing someone a bad night's sleep!"
-- Dave K.
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Not only is chocolate capable of keeping some of us awake at night, chocolate and mints can both make acid reflux worse. Acid reflux is usually worse at night anyway due to sleeping position, so mixing chocolate mints with sleep can be a very bad choice indeed.
My eating chocolate 'kisses' at night may be what is keep me from proper sleep. Also, the above tip on chocolate and headaches.
JR
Hi, Dr. Bill.
Mints cause acid reflux? I generally find mint to be soothing to the stomach, and I've heard the same from many others. I've always assumed that's why many antactid products are mint-flavored.
-- Dave K.
Speakeasy Moderator
click here to email semods4@yahoo.com
The opinions expressed above are my own,
and do not necessarily reflect those of CNET!
that would taste. So much health stuff now to go in addition with my V8 juice, orange juice, multi vitamin, baby aspirin, ensure, coffee, tea, garlic coated pills, GatorAid, and occasional red dinner wine.
And to top it all, I had to quit smoking for what ails me.
Used to be just a daily tablespoon or so of Hadacol would cure anything what ails you. And, didn't need the 3oz of Crown.
JR