Chocolate Linked to Weaker Bones ... But What Kind of Chocolate?

re: Chocolate Linked to Weaker Bones ... But What Kind of Chocolate?

abodyofmotion — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 16:00:57 GMT

There's no debate that chocolate contains oxalates. Seems there are choices we make about other foods that do also. There are also plenty of foods that contain antioxidants so why not choose those foods that do not have the negative effects of oxalates. I think the big charge around chocolate and our desire to make it a super food is it's addictive quality. We should be vigilant that we don't mistake our motivation around it's consumption! Just as with red wine. We get carried away by the benefits and forget it's negative aspects.

re: Chocolate Linked to Weaker Bones ... But What Kind of Chocolate?

jonallen — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 16:14:12 GMT

The only comment I feel the need to add is that in this chocolate survey, the women included were very likely more concerned about the percentage of chocolate to food in their diets than the quantity, and so the higher quantity women were heavier, and perhaps less likely to get enough exercise. If these suspicions have any correlation at all, they could very easily explain the increased bone loss. Exercise is the most important factor in staving off bone loss from aging.

re: Chocolate Linked to Weaker Bones ... But What Kind of Chocolate?

RAIN-300 — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 14:26:26 GMT

Again high dairy intake can also increase osteoporosis because of the extremely high amounts of protein. This creates a lot of acidity in the body leaching calcium from your bones to buffer the acid. The high calcium in milk destroys the calcium absorbers osteoblasts and wears them down. People living in countries that consume the most dairy have the highest cases of osteoporosis. So milk chocolate, and other factors could have contributed to the osteoporosis. How many women also were involved in exercise to increase bone density. There are too many factors that can disprove this study.

re: Chocolate Linked to Weaker Bones ... But What Kind of Chocolate?

Bee — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 14:23:04 GMT

already submitted

re: Chocolate Linked to Weaker Bones ... But What Kind of Chocolate?

Bee — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 14:22:00 GMT

Being an on and off chocoholic, I found this article very interesting. Every time some benefit is found in a previously 'forbidden' substance, we all go crazy consuming it and advertisers jump right on it to push it to the limit. Something interesting I found out last summer: as a naturopath, people tell me little things in passing that they might not confide to others. People began asking me what they could take for the sores they got on their scalps from eating chocolate. As a sufferer of these same sores, and a heavy consumer of chocolate, I gave it up cold turkey for the summer. And what do you know! The sores on my scalp, which I had had for at least a year disappeared within a week. So I ate more chocolate, and they came back!... I tried different brands, limited it to dark chocolate, still the sores. For a year at least I wondered if it were the shampoo, if my hair wasn't getting clean enough, if it were some disease, you name it, all to no avail. These are painful little sores, like pimples, not too numerous, but inconvenient. And many others are afflicted with them also. So now I limit my chocolate intake and avoid the sores. It would be interesting to hear from anyone else who might know something about this. And, oh yes, I told the people who asked to stop eating chocolate, there is no magic bullet for this and no herb either.

re: Chocolate Linked to Weaker Bones ... But What Kind of Chocolate?

The Texan — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 04:38:58 GMT

The original university study regarding the health benefits of chocolate was conducted at The University of California at Davis and was paid for by none other than Hershey's. (UC-Davis is one of the top nutrition universities in the world.)

One of the research professors there in the nutrition department told us that information several years ago when we heard him speak. (I'm guessing the year we heard from him was around 1999 or 2000.)

In spite of who paid for what, the results of the study were real.

re: Chocolate Linked to Weaker Bones ... But What Kind of Chocolate?

dorsey — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 22:30:49 GMT

I am a 50+ Aussie mum who would never allow my children to have the popular choc breakfast cereals or a certain chocolate brand that advertised "a glass and a half of goodness [milk] in every block",as I had read years ago about oxalates in chocolate and spinach. I think the information came from a book by a Dr. Cheraskin[?]. For calcium and a good nights sleep I try to eat 1/3 of a cup of raw almonds half an hour before bed. I was told to do this by my health professional may years ago.

re: Chocolate Linked to Weaker Bones ... But What Kind of Chocolate?

mammothgrizzly — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 21:21:30 GMT

Hi!

I'm registered and I have enabled cookies and half the time I check on a blue-highlighted bit of information, I get the notification that I need to log in or type in my e-mail address or that I need to enable cookies.

This excuse no longer washes. I am wondering if others are having this problem too and what I can do about it since your information is so valuable.

re: Chocolate Linked to Weaker Bones ... But What Kind of Chocolate?

HEALTHCHOCS — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 07:56:44 GMT

I eat Xocai Dark Chocolate and according to Dr Mercola you should be eating antioxidant rich fruit like blueberries - well you would have to eat pounds of blueberries to get the same amount of antioxidants that I get from 3 x 6 gram squares. If you are not eating this unique chocolate you are missing out. It also contains the Acai Berry - so it delivers antixoxidants like nothing else. Google it for yourself!

re: Chocolate Linked to Weaker Bones ... But What Kind of Chocolate?

Barbara Charis — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 06:41:48 GMT

In the 1970's at a lecture given by Dr. Paavo Airola - he said that there was a substance in chocolate called theobromine that bound chocolate and helped cause osteoporosis. I remembered this, because my mother loved chocolate (life long) and had developed a Dowager's Hump. I also remembered how my youngest brother was given chocolate treats all the time...and he was the only one that broke both his arms as a little boy.

It was interesting to see Flamingember bring up the theobroma and later on mention theobromine, because when I wrote another health doctor's office that publishes a news letter...and I said that there was a substance in chocolate that binds calcium...and I said that I believed it was theobromine...he only mentioned pthalates....and Dr. Mercola used the word oxalates.

I know that I don't use some greens with heavy oxalates, because they can bind calcium. I avoid grains, because they too cause an acidic reaction in the blood, which can leach out calcium.

Thanks Flamingember for your information...and thank you also Dr. Mercola for writing about the downside of this very tempting sweet.

re: Chocolate Linked to Weaker Bones ... But What Kind of Chocolate?

curious7 — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 04:43:01 GMT

Chocolate dose contain a fair amount of caffine, and caffine is said to leach calcium from ones body so that the body can handle this chemical.

re: Chocolate Linked to Weaker Bones ... But What Kind of Chocolate?

FloridaDon — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 04:39:20 GMT

Liquid Smoke is also known as aerogel. It is a new type of material that uses are still being determined. Dr. M has even written about it. put aerogel in the search space and his article will appear. You can also in your Google search for "Hubert van Hecke's aerogel page". His web site is at the Los Alamos National Labatory. Of course if you meant the seasoning Liquid Smoke, forget these comments.

re: Chocolate Linked to Weaker Bones ... But What Kind of Chocolate?

flamingember — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 04:28:45 GMT

Cacao(Theobroma) comes in 3 subspecies, the fragrant Trinitario orig W. Indies) & more widespread Forestario(Brazil & Cote D'Ivoire) plus the cross b/w them. The West African variety has little to no caffeine, Brazilian most- that only 4-20mg cup cocoa, compared to 100-160 for the Cafe arabica or robustica. Yet, chocolate gets listed as stimulant in most food/drug charts or research anyway.

Theophyline, the other methyl xanthine, acts most specifically on alveolar alpha-2 receptors which dilate, instead of constricting as agonized alpha-1 do. Epinephrine(=adrenaline) also dilates bronchioles, why they inject it for anaphylactic shock. You might also douse shock victim w ice-cold water to stim adrenaline in emergency. Theobromine relaxes my smooth vasculature; inhibits strep mutans, L. acidophilus & other cariogenic microbes(as well as cheese)and buffers saliva w minerals(cheese buffers w calcium & phos). Natives (K??) off Panamanian coastal island imbibe strong rich cocoa drink & enjoy for long terms of years (the kudos that go w d'art of succesful controversy).

Now the bad news. Like other m-xanthines it's a diuretic & induces tachycardia, which could be deleterious in pets who metabolize it slower, up to 24hrs. Dogs also may have problems w raisins, onions. I've always shared chocolate w my dogs(portion per size), just make sure they stay calm & don't over-exert chasing anything, especially my greyhounds.

Regarding Lead: Cacao comes from tropical trees off Atlantic islands & continents. Soil mainly aluminum-silicate clay. It's laid out to semi-ferment a few days. Possibly we're witnessing Cocoa's tremendous chelating ability to remove toxic heavy metals from derelict shippers or processors. Off with their heads!

A Double-dose of phenylethanolamine/dopamine on Valentine's Day for you, Jill. Les

re: Chocolate Linked to Weaker Bones ... But What Kind of Chocolate?

cryingonions — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 03:12:50 GMT

Great article! I'm glad I like my chocolate dark! consumerist.com (consumerreports.org), lists the top five chocolates. I'm not a member (can't afford) so I wasn't able to access the complete list. It states that Newman's Own Organic chocolate bar is the worst. Another website, seventypercent.com, rates many, many chocolates and has a section where one can SUGGEST A BAR. Let's all suggest Dr. Mercola's

yummy dark chocolate creation as it is not yet listed on this website. If you haven't tried it yet, tell Dr. Mercola to send you a free sample with your next Mercola order!

re: Chocolate Linked to Weaker Bones ... But What Kind of Chocolate?

jennb — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 02:33:01 GMT

There are 100% raw and 100% organic chocolate bars that only contain whole cacao beans with skins and cacao butter. They are made by Sacred Chocolate and I got mine at www.naturaw.com. By the way, I am not affiliated with either company. They are just really good bars. They are very bitter of course, so I like to dip mine in peanut butter and agave nectar. It is really tasty. Also, you could melt a bar down and add Stevia or Lakanto (both natural sweeteners that do not raise blood sugar, nor cause cavities, and have zero calories), then refrigerate or freeze it back into a bar and have a sweetened chocolate bar. Sacred Chocolate does offer other bar flavors too, sweetened with maple sugar. They are a bit expensive and a little goes a long way because they are very potent. I love chocolate and I want to stay healthy. So, I think these are a great option.