Chocolate: Consuming Massive Quantities Daily For A Year With No Issues

[managing]

Chocolate contains anandamide a cannabinoid.
white pepper contains an anandamide breakdown inhibitor, so the anandamide's effect is prolonged.
And the oleic acid in olive oil also metabolizes into a cannabinoid.

LOL. I live in California. So if I want cannabinoids, I just go to Cannabinoids R US or CannabiMart and buy some. And if I get pulled over on the way home, I won't even bother putting them under the seat.

 

[Xemnoraq]

I was the same I went on the largest chocolate binge for almost an entire year cocoa powders dark chocolate bars I loved it was obsessed and even more obsessed with how it made me feel. As far as I’m aware chocolate is a dopamine agonist I felt everytime I ate chocolate it gave me a huge mental advantage like coffee and reading the threads on here and elsewhere talking about the benefits of it lead to me consuming even more chocolate however...
This is something that was mentioned by someone earlier in the thread beware of the heavy metal content remember the safest foods from heavy metals are generally the ones farthest from the soil most of the time, I began developing crippling health problems after my year of binging not saying it was related to the chocolate but it is a culprit, my doctor actually just recently ordered a blood test for heavy metals because I presented to him what heavy metals were found in almost all cocoa powders/ chocolate bars so be very careful buy brands that are certified heavy metal free or passable levels.

 

[managing]

I was the same I went on the largest chocolate binge for almost an entire year cocoa powders dark chocolate bars I loved it was obsessed and even more obsessed with how it made me feel. As far as I’m aware chocolate is a dopamine agonist I felt everytime I ate chocolate it gave me a huge mental advantage like coffee and reading the threads on here and elsewhere talking about the benefits of it lead to me consuming even more chocolate however...
This is something that was mentioned by someone earlier in the thread beware of the heavy metal content remember the safest foods from heavy metals are generally the ones farthest from the soil most of the time, I began developing crippling health problems after my year of binging not saying it was related to the chocolate but it is a culprit, my doctor actually just recently ordered a blood test for heavy metals because I presented to him what heavy metals were found in almost all cocoa powders/ chocolate bars so be very careful buy brands that are certified heavy metal free or passable levels.

Interesting. Would be grateful if you come back to share the results of that test.

 

[Hugh Johnson]

Not sure that's 100% true.

For instance, oysters have an excellent mineral balance, but I don't think that is wise to eat them daily due to the high iron. Keep in mind that you only get rid of around 1-2mg iron daily, unless you use specific foods. A can of oysters has 15+mg.

The balance certainly makes it more optimal, but not necessarily healthy in excess.

Irrelevant. Iron does not absorb very well, only the added iron, which is iron filings, is an issue. If you donate blood just once a year, you keep iron low.

 

[Xemnoraq]

So i did do some testing by the way! However im not sure how accurate the testing is, it was a single blood test that tested for cadmium and lead, im not sure how accurate a blood test is for heavy metals because heavy metals tend to deposit in organs rather than linger in the blood however my blood levels of heavy metals actually showed up lower than average which is really good, i did the test almost a year after i stoppe eatching cocoa products so its difficult to say if i did at one point have a heavy metal burden, i did consume garlic every day which is a more effective chelator of lead and cadmium than DMSA and BAL i believe if im quoting the study correctly. But i think cocoa does possess a heavy metal concern however now ive turned my attention to another area in cocoa and that is that it could have been the contamination of mycotoxins/aflatoxin (mold) in the cocoa products. I believe that the issues i faced may have been a result of ingesting large amounts of contaminated cocoa its also a possibility so be aware of that as well when consuming chocolate however its these that makes the poison dont eat it every meal of the day like i did

 

[Homo Consumericus]

Everyone is different, but for me cocoa has way too much manganese and copper to be okay in large amounts long term. A few days on high copper foods without enough zinc give me a distinct low-gaba and anemic feeling. Manganese in excess is anti-dopamine, anti-thyroid, pro estrogen.

Cocoa is great for a short term buzz, but I consider its mineral profile troubling as a staple supplement for myself or anyone else who has issues with high copper / low dopamine.

Can you share a link which explains the copper -> low GABA and manganese -> low dopamine relationships?

 

[Homo Consumericus]

It's pretty high in iron, so that might be a concern from eating too much.

Taking it with coffee would probably help limit iron absorption.

Also related: Cacoa Extends Lifespan And Keeps Dopamine High

Dark chocolate is loaded with phytic acid which chelates iron.

 

[Yonebayashian]

Dark chocolate is loaded with phytic acid which chelates iron.

Phytic acid chelates almost everything right? It's an antinutrient.

I previously had some extremely bizarre and worrying dissociative episodes which I now think is linked to my gut health or a general reaction to too much inflammation. By far the worst episode I ever experienced was immediately after drinking a cup of dutch processed coaco powder, a brand that was supposed to be the best in the market, just a couple of tablespoons boiled in water.

 

[opethfeldt]

I've been consuming raw cacao powder for a while now too. Feels dopaminergic and calming. It changes my personality to be softer, more patient and more empathetic. I really like it. Good source of magnesium, too. I'm up to 500-600mg per day easily with this addition.

 

[Inaut]

I've been consuming raw cacao powder for a while now too. Feels dopaminergic and calming. It changes my personality to be softer, more patient and more empathetic. I really like it. Good source of magnesium, too. I'm up to 500-600mg per day easily with this addition.

I wish I could consume cacao powder. I get severe histamine reactions

 

[BRBsavinWorld]

I’m not gonna read the whole convo but in case it’s not mentioned, increasing calcium consumption mitigates oxalate toxicity. So I just dose up my calcium in my milk when I wanna eat a lot of chocolate.

 

[Homo Consumericus]

I’m not gonna read the whole convo but in case it’s not mentioned, increasing calcium consumption mitigates oxalate toxicity. So I just dose up my calcium in my milk when I wanna eat a lot of chocolate.

Increasing dietary calcium potentially mitigates one side effect of oxalate intake. There are multiple.

 

[BRBsavinWorld]

Increasing dietary calcium potentially mitigates one side effect of oxalate intake. There are multiple.

interesting, thanks.

 

[TurboTime]

Another potential problem with chocolate is fluoride from sulfuryl fluoride fumigation.

Pesticides - Fluoride Action Network

Due to its high toxicity, fluoride has long been used as a pesticide. In the United States, there are currently two fluoride-based pesticides that are allowed to be sprayed on food. These are: cryolite and sulfuryl fluoride. 5 Facts About Fluoride Exposure from Cryolite 1) The main way people...

fluoridealert.org

This could also be why chocolate is sometimes linked to acne (see Melissa Gallico's work).

 

[opethfeldt]

I wish I could consume cacao powder. I get severe histamine reactions

That's unfortunate. Luckily, anything that decreases cortisol, increases GABA and increases dopamine will have similar effects so it's not too big a loss. Have you tried something like theanine or an antihistamine to see if this helps?

 

[Markr2d2]

Not sure that's 100% true.

For instance, oysters have an excellent mineral balance, but I don't think that is wise to eat them daily due to the high iron. Keep in mind that you only get rid of around 1-2mg iron daily, unless you use specific foods. A can of oysters has 15+mg.

The balance certainly makes it more optimal, but not necessarily healthy in excess.

You do not absorb all the iron in your diet, the body has regulatory systems. Also when you say get rid of, it sounds like all iron is bad but in reality, iron is essential for good health. The only iron that really needs to be avoiding is in fortified foods. If someone already has iron overload then it would be something to consider but avoiding iron containing foods because of a fear of all iron is not a good idea.

 

[moa]

cacao powder gives me bad colon symptoms.

white chocolate with milk and cacao butter is ok.

dark chocolate is in between, speak amounts are ok.

i think it might by the fiber content of low fat cacao powder.

the worst offender is "raw" powder.

do you think it's the fiber or something else ?

 

[facesavant]

For the last year, I've been eating a lot of chocolate, cocoa powder and chocolate liquor, as well as cocoa nibs.
The good news is that I seem to have suffered no ill-effects . My skin has always been acne-prone and there has been no negative (or positive) change in my skin since I began consuming large quantities of chocolate. Chocolate is sometimes associated with acne breakouts, but that has not been my experience. Chocolate is possibly Dopaminergic and increases dopamine, and when I eat chocolate I do feel a sense of mental pleasure and cerebral happiness, possibly indicating a slight elevation in dopamine.

Issues I believe exist with chocolate:

1. Fermentation
ALL chocolate is fermented. No exceptions.
"Raw" chocolate is a scam and if you look online for raw chocolate you will not find any.

Raw cocoa pods/seeds are inedible and largely flavorless. In order for the flavor to develop, the cocoa pods have to be fermented in open-air wooden containers. Bacteria break down the fibrous outer coating of cocoa and develop the flavor.

Fermented foods can possibly increase risk of gastric cancers as seen in some Asian countries like Korea where Kim Chi (fermented cabbage + capsaicin-peppers). As someone that LOVES sauerkraut, kombucha, beet kvass, kefir, etc. this was a major disappointment. I now limit these foods to some degree.
Gastric Cancer Epidemiology in Korea

2. Mold/mycotoxins.
Even with quality-controlled fermentation, most cocoa is processed outdoors, possibly introducing mold and/or mycotoxins into the final products. From what I understand of the chocolate manufacturing process, the cocoa is roasted before or after fermentation, killing most of the organisms. Even after the roasting stage, chocolate is later melted and heated. Generally the temperature is high enough to kill most pathogenic organisms and the possible mold issues have been acknowledged by the cocoa industry for many decades. I have faith that major chocolate manufacturers (Ghiradelli, Lindt, Hershey, etc.) have industry best-practices in place to avoid mycotoxins.

3. Lecithin
Lecithin is used an emulsifier in many chocolates, and most often this is Soy Lecithin or Sunflower Lecithin. (I personally believe there is no difference between Soy Lecithin, Egg Lecithin and Sunflower Lecithin.)
Lecithin increases absorption and adherence of PUFAs to Red Blood Cells (RBCs). This is probably only an issue if you're consuming lots of PUFAs, but...chocolate is often MIXED with PUFA-heavy nuts (chocolate+almond, chocolate+pecan, chocolate+peanut butter, etc. etc.) making the emulsifier a possible concern if you buy chocolate-covered nut products or eat nuts regularly.


4. Oxalates
Oxalates are physical gut irritants and can potentially create mineral-Oxalate stones (calcium oxalate usually) which lodge in the kidneys or joints. When I used to consume green smoothies daily, I first learned about Oxalates, due to joint pain I was getting whenever I used a large amount of spinach in my smoothie. I noticed that the joints in my hands (knuckles) hurt and it seems to have subsided since I replaced the spinach with other leafy greens.


It is possible that my gut is in better health than when I was consuming green smoothies and thus I am not reacting to the still-high level of Oxalates in chocolate.

5. Taste
The taste of chocolate can only be described as divine. Those prone to overeating and Binge-Eating Disorder/EDNOS/Bulimia can be triggered by chocolate. Pretty much everyone loves chocolate, and it can easily be over-consumed. Chocolate has a decent nutritional profile, heavy on the minerals, but if you're replacing more nutrient dense foods with chocolate, you could be causing nutritional issues in the long-term.

6. Fiber/Endotoxin
Cacao, cocoa and chocolate are all somewhat high in fiber. Some of this is insoluble fiber, but often times labels on chocolate products do not accurately break down how much of the fiber is Insoluble/Soluble/Starch. However, I have not noticed an increase in gas from chocolate consumption, leading me to believe the soluble and starch fibers are relatively low. Still, someone with SIBO or C.Diff or pathogenic overgrowth might produce more endotoxin from the chocolate.

7. Nutrition Labeling
Nutrition Labeling is often esoteric for chocolate products.
-Composition of the Fat breakdown in chocolate is mostly saturated, but I haven't seen much evidence for how much PUFA is in chocolate.
-Composition of the Carbohydrate breakdown (Insoluble/Soluble/Starch) is also unclear. I live in the US and maybe nutrition facts labels in other countries are more detailed.
If someone is trying to limit their soluble fiber and starch, they may not be aware of how much they're eating if they regularly consume chocolate.

8. Dairy/Sugar can aggravate acne.
Only applies to acne-prone people like me. Consuming darker chocolate (85% and above) reduces the possibility of acne breakouts.

__________________________________
Even with those potential issues, I still choose to eat chocolate because I enjoy it greatly. So what chocolate products do I eat and how much?

Product: Cacao Powder (less processed than Cocoa Powder.)

Amount: 1-2 Tablespoon daily.
Nutrition (1 tablespoon, 5g)
Calories: 15
Fat: 0g
Carbs: 3g
-2g Insoluble Fiber
-1g Soluble Fiber/Starch likely ???
---

Product: Chocolate Liquor (also called Chocolate Chips)

Amount: 2-4oz daily
Nutrition: (1 ounce, 28g )
Calories: 134
Fat: 8g
-Saturated Fat: 5g
-MUFA/PUFA: ???
Carbs: 18g
Fiber: 16g
Sugar: 2g (naturally occurring?)
---

Product: Cocoa Nibs (whenever I run out of chocolate liquor/chips)

Amount: 2-4oz
Nutrition (3 tablespoons, 28g)
Calories: 160
Fat: 11g
-Saturated Fat: 7g
-MUFA/PUFA: ???
Carbs: 11g
-5g Insoluble Fiber
-6g Soluble Fiber/Starch ???
----------------------

I've been eating both cacao powder and chocolate chips daily for the last year. I'm a self-admitted chocoholic. Ask me anything. I just wanted to inform people that you can be healthy and consume large quantities of chocolate and even in someone that is acne-prone and possibly oxalate-sensitive, this food can be a staple in the diet.

 

[facesavant]

For the last year, I've been eating a lot of chocolate, cocoa powder and chocolate liquor, as well as cocoa nibs.
The good news is that I seem to have suffered no ill-effects . My skin has always been acne-prone and there has been no negative (or positive) change in my skin since I began consuming large quantities of chocolate. Chocolate is sometimes associated with acne breakouts, but that has not been my experience. Chocolate is possibly Dopaminergic and increases dopamine, and when I eat chocolate I do feel a sense of mental pleasure and cerebral happiness, possibly indicating a slight elevation in dopamine.

Issues I believe exist with chocolate:

1. Fermentation
ALL chocolate is fermented. No exceptions.
"Raw" chocolate is a scam and if you look online for raw chocolate you will not find any.

Raw cocoa pods/seeds are inedible and largely flavorless. In order for the flavor to develop, the cocoa pods have to be fermented in open-air wooden containers. Bacteria break down the fibrous outer coating of cocoa and develop the flavor.

Fermented foods can possibly increase risk of gastric cancers as seen in some Asian countries like Korea where Kim Chi (fermented cabbage + capsaicin-peppers). As someone that LOVES sauerkraut, kombucha, beet kvass, kefir, etc. this was a major disappointment. I now limit these foods to some degree.
Gastric Cancer Epidemiology in Korea

2. Mold/mycotoxins.
Even with quality-controlled fermentation, most cocoa is processed outdoors, possibly introducing mold and/or mycotoxins into the final products. From what I understand of the chocolate manufacturing process, the cocoa is roasted before or after fermentation, killing most of the organisms. Even after the roasting stage, chocolate is later melted and heated. Generally the temperature is high enough to kill most pathogenic organisms and the possible mold issues have been acknowledged by the cocoa industry for many decades. I have faith that major chocolate manufacturers (Ghiradelli, Lindt, Hershey, etc.) have industry best-practices in place to avoid mycotoxins.

3. Lecithin
Lecithin is used an emulsifier in many chocolates, and most often this is Soy Lecithin or Sunflower Lecithin. (I personally believe there is no difference between Soy Lecithin, Egg Lecithin and Sunflower Lecithin.)
Lecithin increases absorption and adherence of PUFAs to Red Blood Cells (RBCs). This is probably only an issue if you're consuming lots of PUFAs, but...chocolate is often MIXED with PUFA-heavy nuts (chocolate+almond, chocolate+pecan, chocolate+peanut butter, etc. etc.) making the emulsifier a possible concern if you buy chocolate-covered nut products or eat nuts regularly.


4. Oxalates
Oxalates are physical gut irritants and can potentially create mineral-Oxalate stones (calcium oxalate usually) which lodge in the kidneys or joints. When I used to consume green smoothies daily, I first learned about Oxalates, due to joint pain I was getting whenever I used a large amount of spinach in my smoothie. I noticed that the joints in my hands (knuckles) hurt and it seems to have subsided since I replaced the spinach with other leafy greens.


It is possible that my gut is in better health than when I was consuming green smoothies and thus I am not reacting to the still-high level of Oxalates in chocolate.

5. Taste
The taste of chocolate can only be described as divine. Those prone to overeating and Binge-Eating Disorder/EDNOS/Bulimia can be triggered by chocolate. Pretty much everyone loves chocolate, and it can easily be over-consumed. Chocolate has a decent nutritional profile, heavy on the minerals, but if you're replacing more nutrient dense foods with chocolate, you could be causing nutritional issues in the long-term.

6. Fiber/Endotoxin
Cacao, cocoa and chocolate are all somewhat high in fiber. Some of this is insoluble fiber, but often times labels on chocolate products do not accurately break down how much of the fiber is Insoluble/Soluble/Starch. However, I have not noticed an increase in gas from chocolate consumption, leading me to believe the soluble and starch fibers are relatively low. Still, someone with SIBO or C.Diff or pathogenic overgrowth might produce more endotoxin from the chocolate.

7. Nutrition Labeling
Nutrition Labeling is often esoteric for chocolate products.
-Composition of the Fat breakdown in chocolate is mostly saturated, but I haven't seen much evidence for how much PUFA is in chocolate.
-Composition of the Carbohydrate breakdown (Insoluble/Soluble/Starch) is also unclear. I live in the US and maybe nutrition facts labels in other countries are more detailed.
If someone is trying to limit their soluble fiber and starch, they may not be aware of how much they're eating if they regularly consume chocolate.

8. Dairy/Sugar can aggravate acne.
Only applies to acne-prone people like me. Consuming darker chocolate (85% and above) reduces the possibility of acne breakouts.

__________________________________
Even with those potential issues, I still choose to eat chocolate because I enjoy it greatly. So what chocolate products do I eat and how much?

Product: Cacao Powder (less processed than Cocoa Powder.)

Amount: 1-2 Tablespoon daily.
Nutrition (1 tablespoon, 5g)
Calories: 15
Fat: 0g
Carbs: 3g
-2g Insoluble Fiber
-1g Soluble Fiber/Starch likely ???
---

Product: Chocolate Liquor (also called Chocolate Chips)

Amount: 2-4oz daily
Nutrition: (1 ounce, 28g )
Calories: 134
Fat: 8g
-Saturated Fat: 5g
-MUFA/PUFA: ???
Carbs: 18g
Fiber: 16g
Sugar: 2g (naturally occurring?)
---

Product: Cocoa Nibs (whenever I run out of chocolate liquor/chips)

Amount: 2-4oz
Nutrition (3 tablespoons, 28g)
Calories: 160
Fat: 11g
-Saturated Fat: 7g
-MUFA/PUFA: ???
Carbs: 11g
-5g Insoluble Fiber
-6g Soluble Fiber/Starch ???
----------------------

I've been eating both cacao powder and chocolate chips daily for the last year. I'm a self-admitted chocoholic. Ask me anything. I just wanted to inform people that you can be healthy and consume large quantities of chocolate and even in someone that is acne-prone and possibly oxalate-sensitive, this food can be a staple in the diet.

This is amazing information, thank you for sharing. I eat so much chocolate daily and often at bed time I reflect thinking what am I doing eating so much chocolate it can't be good for me. Then I start again the next day. Lol!
I've found chocolate chips without lecithin, no dry milk either. Brand is Enjoy Life Foods, mega chunks.

 

[GorillaHead]

Studies show that dark chocolate itself not sugar somehow causes acne. But I wonder if it’s the withdrawal effect somehow.


I want to keep drinking caocao powder but I am worried.


I drank hot pure dark chocolate for 5 days straight. I stopped for 3 days and in those 3 days I developed massive facial cysts back to back. Like very not normal for me. I am 31.


At first I thought maybe it’s the copper or cadmium but then I learned that dark chocolate where they did the study has low levels of cadmium. And even the copper dosage is relatively low.

Any ideas on the mechanism?

Continuous Dark Chocolate Consumption Affects Human Facial Skin Surface by Stimulating Corneocyte Desquamation and Promoting Bacterial Colonization

Background: Nutrition can influence skin health. Dark chocolate possesses health promoting properties, but its consumption can exacerbate acne vulgaris in young people. Objective: We evaluated effects of continuous dark chocolate intake on morphological ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Looks like somehow it causes bacteria to increase on skin. So we get dandruff and acne. Both of things that I see tremendously increase.

I wonder if it messes with retinol somehow.

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