Dark Chocolate and CFS Study

[Dorothy Finnigan]

Chocolate is extremely high in oxalates - a molecule that some of us may have problems with. So, if your oxalic acid - and other markers of oxalates are high - be careful! Chocolate could wreak havoc on your system in the long-run. There are many people with FM/CFS on the Trying Low Oxalates yahoo group who have recovered greatly (improved energy, less muscle pain, etc.) by reducing oxalates in their diet. I'd recommend looking into oxalate biochemistry before embarking on a high-chocolate diet!

You may feel a boost of energy in the short-term, but do damage in the long-term.

 

[HowToEscape?]

Chocolate is extremely high in oxalates - a molecule that some of us may have problems with. So, if your oxalic acid - and other markers of oxalates are high - be careful! Chocolate could wreak havoc on your system in the long-run. There are many people with FM/CFS on the Trying Low Oxalates yahoo group who have recovered greatly (improved energy, less muscle pain, etc.) by reducing oxalates in their diet. I'd recommend looking into oxalate biochemistry before embarking on a high-chocolate diet!

You may feel a boost of energy in the short-term, but do damage in the long-term.

How would one know if one is has an issue with oxalates? There are 100's of "just trust me" dietary fixes for us. The only one I know of with a clear basis (other than avoiding junk food) is that people with a broken methylation cycle digest protein better than carbs or fats, and thus need a higher proportion than they would otherwise.

 

[Sallysblooms]

Oxalates are in MANY foods. Really healthful ones like spinach. I have kidneys stones all the time so I watch it a bit and do everything I can, but it is in a ton of the great foods we need to eat. I just eat everything in moderation. Like tea, my Urologist said I can drink it, just not daily. I always make great healthful dark chocolate candy and eat a little daily, just as I have my supplements. It is so good for me.

 

[Little Bluestem]

Oh No! There may be a chocolate shortage. Chocolate producers around the world are facing problems and there may not be enough chocolate. On a more serious note, this is bad news for the chocolate producers and the economies of the countries where they reside.

 

[Dorothy Finnigan]

How would one know if one is has an issue with oxalates? There are 100's of "just trust me" dietary fixes for us. The only one I know of with a clear basis (other than avoiding junk food) is that people with a broken methylation cycle digest protein better than carbs or fats, and thus need a higher proportion than they would otherwise.

You're right to be wary of "just trust me" dietary fixes. I'm not advocating that by a long-shot. In my experience, the 2 most helpful things I've done for my health have been 1) Doing a Methylation Panel and having Dr. Rich analyze it, and 2) Doing an OAT (Organic Acids Test) and having Susan Costen Owens analyze it.

Susan Owens is a brilliant researcher, who, like Rich, was able to synthesize data across disciplines. She has a great deal of understanding about basic biochemical pathways like the transsulfuration pathway, folate metabolism, and methylation cycle. Dr. Rich's knowledge of methylation was even deeper in some ways, but Susan does cover some biochemical ground that Dr. Rich didn't. They really complimented one another well, and I'm sad they never had a chance to meet.

One of Susan's many areas of expertise is oxalates. She's not someone who thinks "low-oxalate-diets can cure everyone" - not at all. She's just a scientist who looks at the data and gives recommendations based on it. In fact, I don't have markers for high-oxalates, but my partner does (he may produce them endogenously). She was able to give me a lot of other information about my biochemistry though, and that's led to changes in supplements and diet that have helped tremendously.

By the way, she has a database of 500 OATs from people whose results she's analyzed. It's neat, because she's been able to spot trends and make discoveries based on her sample-size! And, medium-high to high oxalate levels is one of the things she has noticed time and time again.

 

[Marg]

I once read that craving chocolate is a sign of magnessium deficiency. We most tend to be low in magnessium.

 

[beaverfury]

Oh No! There may be a chocolate shortage. Chocolate producers around the world are facing problems and there may not be enough chocolate. On a more serious note, this is bad news for the chocolate producers and the economies of the countries where they reside.

Theres always a chocolate shortage in my house

 

[Little Bluestem]

Theres always a chocolate shortage in my house

I wonder whose fault that is.

 

[beaverfury]

I wonder whose fault that is.

The Colombians!

 

[Dolphin]

I submitted this comment back in Dec 2010. Unfortunately the journal never put it up. I thought I'd post it here now, just to put it on the record:

Title: Chalder Fatigue Scale scores: there appear to be at least two errors, possibly more

There appears to be at least two errors in the abstract which are repeating errors from Table 3.
The median must be within the range.
So the following two results are impossible:
"deteriorated significantly when subjects were given simulated iso-calorific chocolate (CLF/CP) [ 28.5 (17 - 20)vs. 34.5 (13-26)".

There may be other errors but I cannot be 100% sure. There are two versions of the Chalder Fatigue Scale: the original 14-question version and the version that is more widely used in CFS research now, the 11-question version. The authors appear to be using the 11-question version as they say "Subjects having severe fatigue of at least 10 out of 11 on the Chalder Fatigue Scale (binary scored) were enrolled [11]." They also say they are using the likert version. For the 11-question version, the range of possible scores is 0-33. However there are values given greater than 33 in the abstract (which is taken from Table 3) e.g. 34.5, 35 and 38.

If the authors could post the correct information and reply to the point(s) in paragraph 2, it would be appreciated.

 

[Allyson]

Keep in mind that chocolate has some caffeine in it. Which is what I've always thought explained why it gives me a little energy boost. Very very subtle, but it's there. Not even remotely close to a "back to work" improvement. I mean not even in the ballpark of that kind of effect.

I agree with this Whit, i get quite a boost from good dark chocolate - that wears off after a few hours like coffee does. It also keeps me awake if I eat it in the afterneoon after about 3 pm.

Caffeine is also a powerful vasoconstrictor and for those of us that may have a collagen defect resulting in faulty blood vessels as one of the key causes of our ME this could impact on that.

(The vasoconstricting effect of caffeine are so strong that plastic surgeons ban it for two weeks in the diet of patients who have had skin grafts and other similar surgery such as limb transplants as it retards healing and can prevent a graft or transplant from taking.)

see this thread for more details on that inadequate vasoconstricion topic.

http://forums.phoenixrising.me/inde...-ehelrs-danlos-syndrome-stretchy-veins.20351/

 

[Marlène]

I love it! Only after a week of non stop eating I tend to have candida-like explosion.

 

[AFCFS]

I think the positive benefit may be due to the histamine released by chocolate. Of course, many people also have histamine problems or maybe histamine intolerant, but it can do many amazing things.

Histamine Rich Foods
Take a look at the list of histamine rich foods presented in this article. Histamine plays an important role in immune response of the body, controls sleep, orgasm and also promotes digestion.

Histamine is a chemical compound produced by the body which is essential for immune responses and smooth functioning of the stomach. It also acts as a neurotransmitter and promotes brain cell communication. It is a type of protein which promotes stomach acid production. Mostly, histamine is known for its negative role. We know that it acts as a mediator in allergic reactions and is responsible for the skin rash, itching or hives developed due to insect bites or allergies or allergic rhinitis. An inflammatory response (swelling as a result of accumulation of blood fluids at the place) and constrictions of smooth muscle (constriction of smooth muscle surrounding the airway leading to shortness of breath), seen during an allergic reaction is attributed to release of histamine. Sneezing, watery eyes, gastric upset and rashes are common signs of allergic reactions. Those who are diagnosed with allergies need to avoid histamine rich foods.

Functions of Histamine

While responding to foreign pathogens, basophils (a type of white blood cells) and mast cells produce histamine. The presence of histamine makes the capillaries more permeable to white blood cells and thus helps fight off infections. It helps improve your digestive health by triggering the secretion of gastric acid in the stomach. Thus, it is not only involved in response to pathogens, but it is also a part of normal biological functions. When mast cells in the genitals release histamine, a woman experiences an orgasm. On the contrary, high levels of histamine in the body are responsible for premature ejaculations in men. The body produces more histamine when you are awake and less when you are asleep. This is the reason for falling asleep after the intake of antihistamines. As they restrict histamine release, you feel sleepy. This indicates that histamine regulates sleep. Low blood levels of this compound are noticed in schizophrenia patients, as a side effect of the antipsychotic medications. An increase in histamine levels helps improve their health. The human body is capable of producing histamine. But by consuming foods that are high in histamine, you can provide sufficient amount of the compound to the body.
****************************************************************************
Alcohol, bananas, chocolate, eggs, fish, pineapple, milk, shellfish, strawberries and tomatoes are some of the commonly used histamine releasing foods.

So, maybe if the chocolate runs out, could move onto pineapple alcohol?

 

[HowToEscape?]

You're right to be wary of "just trust me" dietary fixes. I'm not advocating that by a long-shot. In my experience, the 2 most helpful things I've done for my health have been 1) Doing a Methylation Panel and having Dr. Rich analyze it, and 2) Doing an OAT (Organic Acids Test) and having Susan Costen Owens analyze it.

........

By the way, she has a database of 500 OATs from people whose results she's analyzed. It's neat, because she's been able to spot trends and make discoveries based on her sample-size! And, medium-high to high oxalate levels is one of the things she has noticed time and time again.

O/T Dorothy --- thanks for the tip re OAT. I'm on Enlander's protocol. This has helped get me to some level of function, about 20% of my previous normal, which isn't enough to manage life. That is the first I've heard of it, do you mind if I PM for more details?

 

[AFCFS]

Chocolate Consumption, Cognitive Function, and Nobel Laureates

 

[AFCFS]

I found this interesting: Consumption of cocoa flavanols results in an acute improvement in visual and cognitive functions.

Abstract

Cocoa flavanols (CF) influence physiological processes in ways that suggest their consumption may improve aspects of neural function, and previous studies have found positive influences of CF on cognitive performance. In this preliminary study we investigated whether visual, as well as cognitive, function is influenced by an acute dose of CF in young adults. We employed a randomized, single-blinded, order counterbalanced, crossover design in which 30 healthy adults consumed both dark chocolate containing 720mg CF and a matched quantity of white chocolate, with a one week interval between testing sessions. Visual contrast sensitivity was assessed by reading numbers that became progressively more similar in luminance to their background. Motion sensitivity was assessed firstly by measuring the threshold proportion of coherently moving signal dots that could be detected against a background of random motion, and secondly by determining the minimum time required to detect motion direction in a display containing a high proportion of coherent motion. Cognitive performance was assessed using a visual spatial working memory for location task and a choice reaction time task designed to engage processes of sustained attention and inhibition. Relative to the control condition, CF improved visual contrast sensitivity and reduced the time required to detect motion direction, but had no statistically reliable effect on the minimum proportion of coherent motion that could be detected. In terms of cognitive performance, CF improved spatial memory and performance on some aspects of the choice reaction time task. As well as extending the range of cognitive tasks that are known to be influenced by CF consumption, this is the first report of acute effects of CF on the efficiency of visual function. These acute effects can be explained by increased cerebral blood flow caused by CF, although in the case of contrast sensitivity there may be an additional contribution from CF induced retinal blood flow changes.

An then this: Cocoa as an antioxidant

In case anyone was looking at how to get 720 mg of CF, may want to look here for starters: Hershey Center for Health & Nutrition

Have not done all the math, but it looks like it could ultimately be a rather laborious task to get all that chocolate to fit into an otherwise healthy diet.

 

[Mouse girl]

Yep, dark chocolate, big fan. Only yummy thing I can eat that doesn't have bad side effects for me. I have loads of food sensitivities, but not to dark chocolate! I had a CFS doc recommend the 70% to me as I had a glycemic problem at the time. Been in love ever since.

 

[Little Bluestem]

The Hershey Center for Health and Nutrition - that's my kind of place! I have wondered if cocoa powder had the same beneficial phytochemicals as dark chocolate. It looks like it does. I may try to make more healthful candy by using cocoa and sweetening it with stevia. In the winter, I could use coconut oil for fat.

 

[Mij]

You can make your own chocolate bars, squares etc with Raw Chocolate Powder (Cacao Powder). I mix it with OVCO, yacon syrup, cacao butter and sprinkle with course himalayan sea salt. The ingredients may seem a little expensive at first but they last a long time. I sometimes mash in medjool dates as a natural sweetner. It's full of antioxidants, magnesium etc Very healthy and tastes wonderful.

 

[Mouse girl]

Wow, you guys are way more ambitious than me! But, I absolutely hate cooking. And funny thing too, is stevia makes me sick, but not the regular sugar in my yummy 70% chocolate. I like the taste of stevia too and don't have sugar in anything else I eat, just my delicious chocolate. I eat it everyday, have been for years.