Dr. Mercola November 03 2007 49,938 views
Your preference for, or indifference to, chocolate may be linked to a chemical signature programmed into your metabolic system, according to Swiss and British scientists.The finding may help to design healthier diets that are customized to your individual needs, based on your nutritional type, or metabotype.In the study, 11 volunteers who were “chocolate desiring” and 11 who were “chocolate indifferent” ate chocolate or a placebo over a five-day period. When researchers analyzed the volunteers’ urine and blood samples, they found that the “chocolate lovers” had low levels of LDL cholesterol and elevated levels of the beneficial protein albumin. They also had different activity in their gut microbes than the “chocolate indifferent” group.The profile existed whether the chocolate was eaten or not.The researchers suggest that food preferences such as chocolate might be imprinted into your metabolic system so that your body becomes “attuned to a particular diet.”The findings build off of the prior knowledge that metabolic status and food preferences vary from person to person and culture to culture. A test that could reliably determine your nutritional type, which could be performed as part of a blood or urine test, could be available in five years.
I have been following 'metabolic typing' since '99. While the work and efforts of Dr. Mercola are to be commended, it was the synergistic efforts of Harold Kristal and colleague Bill Wolcott, efforts that were inspired by pioneers Francis Pottenger MD, George WatsonPhD, and William D. Kelley DDS, that jointly evolved a protocol that continues to be what I consider the gold standard of metabolic nutrition/typing. With his 'Metabolic News' newsletter which originated in ’98, the product of a joint effort with James Haig, and his subsequent book 'The Nutrition Solution' in '02, Dr. Kristal (bloodph.com - home of the bloodph self test for metabolic typing) has continued to be on the cutting edge of metabolic nutrition. I'm just giving credit where credit is due.
A theory of mine (unscientific) is that children “know” what food is good or bad for them, until adults force their own opinions upon them. When I was a child, I was forced to attend events such as birthday parties and such, although I would come home very ill. My parents believed this illness was due to my perceived “shyness” which I would get over if only I spent enough time doing what for me was torture. As I reached the age of eating whatever appealed to me, I cut out sugar, milk, and bread. Surprise, I also lost my so-called phobias to parties—as long as I did not eat the mandatory cake and ice cream along with the soda pop. Along in the 1970’s came a book called “Sugar Blues” which gave me a big insight into why I had gained a healthy lifestyle due to just following my body’s clues. I do believe however, that we suppress that natural knowing if we continually eat foods that are not correct, and then we no longer know that we are suffering from our food choices when we experience illness and disease.
You were definitely an unusual child. As a kindergarten teacher and mother I can swear that most children will live on pure sugar and trashy carbs their entire day if allowed to.
Traditional Chinese Medicine has known this "typing" for THOUSANDS of years and use food to cure all ailments and to remian healthy and balanced. It is nothing new! It cracks me up that the things we have to prove in a test tube and through studies, the Chinese have known for thousands of years. If you are interested in understanding how food, herbs and vitamins can best be tailored to your individual body, I would highly encourage your looking into TCM. If you truly want to know what foods will make you your healthiest and help with dis-ease check it out. Some books that helped me get started were Linda Prout's Live in the Balance: A Ground-breaking East-West Nutrition Program and Daverick Leggett books &wall charts especially Helping Ourselves available through www.meridianpress.net. Best health to everyone!!!