Everything in moderation: This principle applies especially to luxury foods. If you eat too much chocolate, you can even poison yourself.
You just can’t control yourself and always eat the whole packet of chocolate? You are not alone in this. The composition of the candy tempts many people to consume it excessively. But that carries risks. Because a component of chocolate can cause immense harm to the body – if you consume it in large quantities.
Healthy chocolate: What positive effects can be proven
Cocoa as a component of dark chocolate is said to have health-promoting effects because the cocoa bean contains valuable plant substances in addition to magnesium and calcium. “Cocoa – and therefore chocolate – contains heart-healthy ingredients such as polyphenols and flavonoids, which can, among other things, reduce inflammation,” the AOK quotes Dr. Chayakrit Krittanawong from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, who led a large US study. The scientists were even able to demonstrate a heart-protective effect, but not in every case: “Moderate amounts appear to protect the arteries, but it is likely that large amounts do not“, says Krittanawong, according to the AOK.
Theobromine: Potentially deadly ingredient in chocolate
Theobromine is one of the plant substances contained in cocoa. This substance is similar to caffeine in its effects: it has a stimulating effect on the human nervous system. You feel more awake after taking it because your circulation is stimulated. Pulse and blood pressure increase. “The largest amount of theobromine is found in cocoa powder for baking (14-26 mg/g). Dark chocolate with 90% cocoa contains 26 mg/g, dark chocolate 5-8 mg/g and milk chocolate only 1.5-2 mg/g,” informs the Justus-Liebig University of Giessen. Theobromine is generally harmless to humans in commercial quantities, but the substance can be very dangerous for animals. If dogs consume 250 to 500 milligrams of theobromine per kilogram of weight, symptoms of poisoning can occur, warns the University of Giessen.
If the dosage is too high, theobromine can also be life-threatening for humans. As with caffeine poisoning, too much of the plant substance has a very stimulating effect on the body. In the event of an overdose, there is increased blood pressure, restlessness and trembling hands. The body can react with seizures, vomiting and diarrhea and even death due to cardiac arrhythmias or respiratory arrest is possible. But getting a lethal amount of theobromine is very unlikely. This is what naturalist Brian Clegg writes in his book “Measuring the Body”: “To get a dangerous dose, an adult would have to eat about five kilos of milk chocolate“. (jg)