Not an easy one. But that said, I've some thoughts and maybe they are helpful.
But the odd thing is that dark choclade is richer in copper, but maybe the higher amount of cacao doesn't agree with you.
For your margarine and butter experience: I doubt if it has anything to do with cholesterol. Margarine is usually fortified with vitamine A & D, maybe that is what causing your positive reaction.
Hey, I'm not sure of anything, just wanted to share my thoughts. Who knows, they might be helpful!
How do you respond to dark chocolate?
I think one of the simple answers is that chocolate contains endorphins and milk chocolate has a fairly-high sugar content unless it is very high quality.
Also, sugar is not something that the body has to digest--not like other foods anyway--and it is a very fast way for the body to obtain energy when digesting food would not be possible due to low energy and body resources. So basically, eating milk chocolate allows you to bypass the normal digestion process that takes a great deal of the body's energy (at least 80% on any given day).
Overall though, it weakens digestion if you eat enough of it, which is relative to every person, but it tends to build--like if you're eating it daily. So, you get more energy day to day and can regulate your blood sugar to a certain extent, but it inevitably ends in a crash because the already-weak digestion has been further compromised.
Thanks for the input. I think I'm gonna do more testing tomorrow and over the weekend.
I think I should conduct some studies with chocolate daily.
Seriously, Diessel, you aren't imagining things when you feel better after eating chocolate. Here is a link to an article that even the brain challenged among us can understand.
Results - [Still haven't found the cure for CFS, yet.]"
The problem is that my immune system seems so dysregulated that there is not the one substance which brings it into balance but there is a certain mix that is necessary for proper function. Finding that mix is so difficult because it takes time before certain effects show up and you never know which substance caused what and how substances interact.
Maybe it's the theobromine in the chocolate having some helpful effect? I used to have mild asthma and found chocolate helped. My doctor explained that it was probably because of the theobromine which is similar to theophylline found in asthma drugs.
I love chocolate. It's my antidepressant of choice.
I think of it as an OTC LDN (though I haven't taken LDN), and without the digestive and insomnia side effects!
I miss chocolate so. Even a tiny bit gives me nasty headaches. I think from the caffeine but not sure.
Even a tiny bit gives me nasty headaches, too.
I see no reason (other then something maybe psychological.. dont hate me for saying that) .. why milk chocolate would help someone while dark chocolate wouldnt.
Dark chocolate is known to be helpful to some with CFS/ME due to some things in it which arent in milk chocolate (or in milk chocolate far less).
I was shocked to hear that you decided to go out two days straight cause you were feeling good which lead to a crash. The affects of what one with CFS/ME does in a day.. may not come in till the second or even third day.. so suddenly going out two days straight isnt a good idea at all. (unless you know your body can tolerate it).
If feeling good.. increase your activity levels MUCH slower if you dont want to find yourself crashing much more and possibly worsening your whole condition.
Dark chocolate contains much more cocoa. Moreover dark chocolate contains much more coffeine. Both can have detrimental effects if an intolerance is in place so eating dark chocolate compared to eating milk chocolate would be a bad idea. Cocoa is harder to digest. Maybe its the mix of ingredients in milk chocolate that leads to some benefits if malnutrition was in place before. Flavonoids are another thing that can cause problems, dark chocolate is richer in flavonoids. PWCs are too different in order to make claims about how they should react on foods or what is healthy or good for them.
I went out the two days but they were worth it, I guess. No dispute intended.
I went out the two days but they were worth it.
Have you tried white chocolate?
I've not a clue if it even has real cacao as part of its base ingredients, but seems if you do better with milk than dark chocolate, maybe take it a step further in that direction?
Chocolate is maybe the only food that contains phenylethylalanine, which is the chemical made by the body when it is in love.
Whether this is responsible for all the non-mood benefits you report, I don't know.
The amino acid DLPA needs to undergo a conversion before it turns into phenylethylalanine, but I nonetheless found it helpful back in the days when I was managing my moods with supplements (rather than mold avoidance).