Dark Chocolate Theobromine Stimulates and Strengthens

Find out its effects and defects before you decide to consume theobromine. You know how caffeine affects you. But what do you know about this stimulant?

Fortunately, its effects are usually beneficial, giving the body a mild boost or helping to treat a medical condition. But if you're pregnant or suffer from acid reflux it could cause concern.

Familiarize yourself with the benefits of this not so familiar dark chocolate stimulant.

Methylxanthines

Theobromine, a methylxanthine like its relative caffeine, is a bitter tasting stimulant found in chocolate. It's effect on the central nervous system is much milder than caffeine's. But it has a greater impact on the heart, smooth muscle, and kidneys.

Its effect is so mild that it nearly faded from use in medicine.

Theobromine Effects

It's a heart stimulant, a diuretic, an artery dilator, and a smooth muscle relaxant. This makes it useful in the treatment of heart problems and other medical conditions such as...

• heart failure-diuretic effect helps rid the body of excessive fluid
• high blood pressure-relaxes blood vessels
• coughing -suppresses the vagus nerve that controls it
• headaches
• asthma-relaxes the smooth muscle of the bronchi

This has led to the development of the chocuhaler. It uses chocolate to help deliver asthma medicine more efficiently.

Better Than Flouride

Recently, theobromine was compared to fluoride. Surprisingly, it was found to be better at strengthening tooth enamel.

By 2012 a new toothpaste, containing this cocoa extract, could be on the market. Now, if they can make it taste like dark chocolate, brushing would be a lot more fun.

2 Reasons to Avoid Dark Chocolate

The amount found in dark chocolate is small enough to be safe for people to consume. But here are 2 instances where it could cause a problem...

• pregnancy-too much dark chocolate can be dangerous for the baby because it hasn't developed the ability to break it down.
• acid reflux-it relaxes the muscle at the base of the esophagus which can allow stomach acid entry. Bad news for people with gastrointestinal reflux disease.

As always, be sure to consult your physician if you have any concerns about it.



Finally, it's emerging from the shadow of its stronger, more famous cousin, caffeine. Neglected by medicine no more, this mild stimulant is proving it has powerful potential. It looks like dark chocolate's other stimulant will be getting the recognition it deserves.



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