The Straight Goods on Chocolate: Part Two

To continue our discussion about chocolate: There are many who avoid chocolate because they want to stay away from the caffeine. In point of fact, however, the actual amount of caffeine in chocolate is small when compared to what is found in a cup of coffee. This doesn't mean that there are no stimulants in chocolate, however. The sugar found in most chocolate makes the consumer more likely to feel stimulated or agitated.

There are three main ingredients found in chocolate: phenethylamine, tryptophan and theobromine. Although phenothylamine does have a psychoactive effect on the consumer, it mostly doesn't reach the brain after ingesting chocolate and has very little effect. Tryptophan, conversely, has a calming effect on the body, and doesn't lead to adverse side effects.

One of the distinguishing alkaloids in chocolate is theobromine, the presence of which gives chocolate its characteristically bitter taste. Theobromine is, chemically speaking, closely related to caffeine, and has some of the same effects as caffeine. There are approximately 20 mg of theobromine in a gram of cocoa -- not a negligible amount, by any means. Like caffeine, theobromine has diuretic properties and is also a heart stimulant. Theobromine is responsible for most of the effects that many attribute to caffeine in chocolate.

As for caffeine in chocolate, there is very little to be found, although the caffeine in chocolate increases as the chocolate becomes darker. One ounce (30 mg) of milk chocolate contains six milligrams of caffeine, compared to 19 mg of caffeine in an ounce of coffee. White chocolate contains virtually no caffeine, whereas the amount of theobromine is much higher in all types of chocolate, with the exception of the white variety, which because of the absence of cocoa solids has very little theobromine in it.

So the next time you experience a "rush" when eating chocolate, don't blame it on the caffeine. Blame it on the sugar and theobromine instead.