posted
I've been fighting Lyme for the last two years but just got diagnosed, confirmed by lab tests in the last few months. Every 3 or 4 weeks I get a week of extreme fatigue which then goes away and I feel almost normal in between these episodes. These fatigue episodes are accompanied by occasional palpitations, sweating, slight headache, photophobia and other symptoms. I figure these episodes correspond to the spirochete die-off before it heads back to dormancy. I have none of the joint pain associated with Lyme.
Am currently on Tetracycline, probiotics (HLC Intensive), Buhner's protocol with Smilax and Siberian Ginseng, CoQ10, Lipoic Acid, and a very good nutritional supplement. Lots of garlic in my diet and I stay away from wheat, cow dairy and soy and anything real sugary.
However, I daily enjoy high quality dark chocolate of the high octane variety (70% and higher) and find that in between these fatigue episodes, it helps me focus and maintain concentration and energy and feel normal. I am not a casual user. I'm curious what other Lymies have experienced with regards to these high octane cacaos. During the fatigue episodes I stay away from it, and most food in general.
Am not talking about Hersheys here. Instead, the chocolates I consume are made from organic beans and formed into chocolate bars at the source. The sugar content is very low or nonexistent and there are few other additives other than chocolate mass and cocoa butter. Varieties such as Corallo and Grenada Chocolate are made from beans that have never been sprayed with anything. Organic beans that are made into chocolates in this country get sprayed with fungicides on their way in - so these are not truly organic! A good online source for such chocolate is www.chocosphere.com in Portland OR.
Am just curious if others have continued their Theobromine habit during their Lyme experiences.
Thanks! Casey Burns
Posts: 34 | From Kingston WA | Registered: Feb 2008
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
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cocoa helps me has fewer seizures . . . I think part of that is that it helps my attention span and then the sleepy brain waves are not as strong and the "awake" brain waves don't have to surge as often (which triggers seizure for me).
I, too, discovered Chocosphere. It's great for those who can't get the very dark at the store.
AND - different brands have different flavors, really.
I tried the 100 - or 99 % organic chocolate and could not do that. Had I know of agave then, I could have just melted it, added a little agave, cool and crack it into pieces then.
Chocosphere best ships during cooleer weather and they put in an ice pack. Ordering early in week is necessary.
Later I tried this with another chocolate and it was like a thick syrup. So, I kept in in a jar in fridge and could just use a spoonful as my afternoon wake-up call.
While Organic may be more expensive, I think it is wise as some cocao beans have been sprayed - and some grown along side roads used by vehicles using leaded gasoline, thereby essentially putting lead into the chocolate.
here's some info. on cocoa itself. I consider it medicine and am glad to know I can get it w/o sugar, or with just a touch.
I'd be very happy if they would mfg. a bar made with agave rather than sugar. In the meantime, I can do that myself.
Just warm the chocolate bar in the oven in a slick pyrex backing dish - my corning ware works great. as it melts, you can stir in agave, a touch of stevia (too much will give it an aftertaste) . . .
you can also add nut meal or courser ground nuts (Trader Joe's have these - hazelnut is the best).
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The Sunday Times (London, England) April 09, 2006
A choc a day keeps the doctor away Sarah-Kate Templeton, Medical Correspondent
FOR centuries chocolate has been regarded as a vice but now it could become a life-saver. A leading professor is to administer confectionery to heart patients to test its health benefits.
Scientists believe there is growing evidence that eating dark chocolate can relax the blood vessels, help to prevent blood clotting and stave off heart attacks.
To test the thesis Roger Corder, professor of experimental therapeutics at Barts and The London, Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry, is applying for ethical approval for a trial of dark chocolate on 40 patients with cardiovascular disease.
Corder believes there will soon be enough evidence that flavanol molecules found in dark chocolate fight heart disease for doctors to recommend a daily portion of about four squares as part of a healthy diet.
``We may need to have more of these flavanols in our diet. We would be considering 25 grams a day of a good chocolate, such as one with 85% cocoa. In 12 months, with the clinical trials planned, there will be enough initial data to be able to make this recommendation,'' he said.
Corder has already confirmed his theory in laboratory experiments, which have been independently funded.
Flavanols act like aspirin in preventing clotting. In trials they have also been found to increase blood flow to the brain, suggesting that they could help to treat dementia and strokes.
I don't know if you could add d-Ribose or not. that's an idea. It's sweet, but a sugar that helps heart patients. PubMed has abstracts on that. It is expensive, though.
COCOA BEAN (Theobroma cacao ) Latin: Theobroma cacao Chinese: Cha ku li
WHAT IT DOES: Cocoa bean is bitter in taste and warming in action. It stimulates the mind and elevates mood.
RATING: Yellow, due to minor limitations in usage (contains caffeine)
SAFETY ISSUES: None known of significance. In rare cases may trigger headaches.
STARTING DOSAGE: * Dried powder: one to two grams two times per day. May be used sweetened or unsweetened.
The Latin Theobroma means "Food of the Gods." Cocoa bean and its derivative, chocolate, can help digestion, increase blood flow to the heart, and ease chest congestion.
It is high in antioxidants and happens to taste better than most other herbs. In Central America, cocoa bean has long been used to treat pregnancy problems and ease childbirth, coughs, chest congestion, and fever. Its use in the Western world took off in 1876 with the invention of milk chocolate.
Cocoa bean contains caffeine, tryptophan (a serotonin percursor), theobromine (a substance similar to caffeine) and amandamides (substances that activate the same receptor in the brain as marijuana). Of course, commercial cocoa products are loaded with sugar, so I prefer to make my own hot cocoa with soy milk, sweetened with a mixture of honey and stevia leaf.
Sugar-free cocoa powder can be a good choice in formulas for patients in need of mild mood elevation. By the way, the amandamides are present in very, very small amounts, so if you want to get high from chocolate, you have to get fat too (Shively and Tarka, Jr 1984).
A recent Harvard School of Public Health study that received national attention in the popular press revealed that males who eat chocolate once or twice per week live, on average, one year longer than those who do not indulge. Unfortunately, the same result has not been demonstrated in women. Sorry
Cocoa bean and chocolate, like coffee bean and tea leaves all contain xanthines, chemicals that help relax bronchial spasms and can be useful for treating allergies and asthma, especially in emergencies where no other medication is available (reported in Duke, 1997).
The xanthines include coffeine, theobromine and theophylline. People may actually use chocolate instinctively as a form of self-medication for dietary deficiencies, or to increase low levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine. Additionally, many Americans are deficient in magnesium, and chocolate craving may be a sign of magnesium deficiency.
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
* A placebo-controlled crossover study at the Institute of Sports Medicine at Beijing Medical University looked at the affect of chocolate on exercise recovery rates.
Chocolate bar supplementation before exercise improved recovery by keeping blood sugars and other blood chemicals at good levels for up to 30 minutes after completion of one hour of running (Chen et al., 1996).
* Researchers have found that the episodic nature of chocolate cravings fluctuates with hormonal changes in women just before and during the menses, suggesting a hormonal link (Bruinsma and Taren, 1999).
* One cup of cocoa has about half as much caffeine as one cup of coffee, and it has a slower onset and longer course of action. Contrary to popular belief, and contradicting some earlier studies, caffeine in normal doses does not appear harmful to the heart, and does not increase risks of heart attack or arrhythmia (Chou and Benowitz, 1994).
* Animal studies have shown that chocolate supplementation seems to correct magnesium deficiency, but in the interest of calorie-counting and overall dietary sensibility it probably makes sense to correct this problem with dietary adjustments or supplementation rather than a chocolate feast (Planells et al., 1999).
* Surprisingly, milk chocolate does not seem to elevate blood fats such as cholesterol in spite of its high saturated fat content. Controlled studies indicate repeatedly that this is due to the unique effect of a saturated fatty acid called stearic acid (Kris-Etherton and Mustad, 1994).
The amazing benefits of dark chocolate mood, pain & more
It is true, there are amazing benefits to eating dark chocolate! I think you will be amazed at all the reason below, chocolate is good for you!
When you are in chronic pain everyday, your neurotransmitters in the brain are depleted, serotonin, dopamine, nor epinephrine and others.
Recently when a well known Md said chocolate raises dopamine levels, I had to study the subject. I have had so much pain and know my dopamine levels are probably dried out from working overtime, depleted daily by my pain levels.
My pain management Md wanted to put me on Requip. I asked the reason and he said, "Pain depletes dopamine, it will help replenish it". I refused and studied the subject instead for something natural.
This is what I came up with, so I just thought I'd throw this out there. I now eat 2 pieces of dark chocolate a day, I don't know if it is because I am getting better, but my pain does seem more tolerable, my mood more level. I can't say for sure if it is the chocolate, but there is legitimate proof to back my claims.
Remember always eat in small amounts and always dark chocolate, not milk chocolate. Milk chocolate defeats the purpose and even having a glass of milk with dark chocolate is not recommended, again it defeats the purpose. Also sugar free dark chocolate is amazingly good (especially the brand below) and really diminishes the chocolate craving.
1. High flavanoids found in dark chocolate can help your heart, possibly reducing the risk of a heart attack. According to a recent study by Johns Hopkins University, "Chocolate that's flavonoid-rich, that's dark, that's good quality, that's not traveling with all of its bad friends like sugar and fat, probably has some fairly potent pro-health benefits, although not as strong as aspirin,"
2. You'll feel calmer instantly. The darker the chocolate, the better to create this effect on your body and mind. Dark chocolate helps release endorphins, your body's natural painkillers. A bite of that potent truffle will transport you to a blissful state immediately!
3. You won't have chocolate cravings all day or week. When you let yourself enjoy and savor your daily morsel, you're less likely to worry about it and scavenge for the next best thing. Enjoy the freedom of indulgence and forget about guilty cravings for good!
4. Chocolate can reduce your blood pressure. On even the the most stressful day, a bite of chocolate can bring that calm feeling towards relaxation, affecting the central nervous system almost immediately, and giving you a chance to breathe. It's no wonder that fans of yoga often pair their session with a small piece of dark chocolate!
5. You'll feel happier; and might just improve your social life. Your mood can dramatically improve from gloomy to spirited with the right amount of dark chocolate. If you get to the point where find yourself hugging everyone, it's indication that it's working (and you may have overdone it this time). Try it, you'll feel calmer, and smile a whole lot more!
6. You'll improve your memory and brain function. The brain releases dopamine after just a couple of squares of dark chocolate; dopamine helps with overall mental function and improves your ability to remember and recall people and events.
These are just six excuses to indulge in some natural goodness every day. Take the steps to improve your health and overall well-being one step at a time, and pick your favorite excuse to enjoy dark chocolate along the way!
And I will add, even if 100 % cocoa and no sugar, be sure rinse mouth well or, better yet, brush teeth relatively soon afterward - as with all meals or snacks.
posted
I like organic raw cocoa nibs (unsweetened) which I use in various concoctions mixed with stevia for sweetness so I avoid the sugar but get the cocoa power.
I think chocolate helps me in some ways -- I know I crave it a lot. I have the cocoa nibs daily.
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oxygenbabe
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Casey, thanks! I didn't know about Coralli. I eat sugarless chocolate and am aware of lead issues for much chocolate even organic, and have felt I hadn't had the right chocolate yet. I ate scharffen berger 99% for a long time but I believe it has more than 1% sugar. It just tastes more sugary than that. They say 99% because it is mixed in vats that had sugared chocolates. I tried Dagoba Tierra Firma, 100%,but I found it was too acidic in some way or harsh on my system, I react by getting thirsty and tired. I sometimes take a square of baker's chocolate in my purse. I tried the organic cacao beans from the healthfood store and they made my bladder burn. They claim to be raw but obviouslythey're roasted. Since my bladder burns it means they have mold on them. I am addicted to my cohcolate and feel it is energizing, clarifying,and anti inflammatory. To have a personally overseen chocolate like Coralli's sounds great and I just ordered $100 worth, mostly the sugarless,but thought I'd try the raisin studded one for fun. Thanks, it sounds like I have finally found a good true chocolate.
Posts: 2276 | From united states | Registered: Jun 2004
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My LLMD told me I could eat chocolate to take my Mepron. Obviously it does have sugar in it, but I buy high concentrated organic dark chocolate. I am dairy, gluten and soy free so he said it would be fine if I had some chocolate with it.
He said that for me because I am nauseous all the time, so he said you might as well enjoy what you're eating. I also don't have a huge candida problem, so it's not an issue for me. Although I don't eat it every day...at all!
Posts: 215 | From Student | Registered: Oct 2007
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This variety is one that escaped cultivation in the early 19th century and was growing wild since. It doesn't get more heirloom than that although there is now a wilcrafter chocolate from Bolivia that is now just coming to market. The Corallo is unlike anything else out there and is the top chocolate in the world in my mind.
Am curious here if other Lymies are getting any benefits or having problems with chocolate as part of their "protocols". My naturopath (who is also addicted) said that it was a good food, and can see the benefit of including it.
Casey
Posts: 34 | From Kingston WA | Registered: Feb 2008
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posted
The first 3,5 years with Lyme I was absolutely strict in my diet. Since about half a year I'm eating a little bit of 85% chocolate a day.
I don't feel better lymewise - but I do feel happy when I eat it
I don't feel worse, either.
Gabrielle
Posts: 767 | From Germany | Registered: Feb 2004
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mojo
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I've tried the 85% and the 100% (no sugar at all) but they seem to disagree with me.
At first I think I was eating too much (healthy chocolate? let me at it) Then I'd be sick the next day - I definately noticed a pattern.
So this week end I tried a little and I'm sick for the first day in over two weeks of feeling pretty darn good. I should also add that I did have cake two days in a row (which is not normal for me - I've been doing very well with no sugar) I think that contributed - I'm not used to the chocolate OR the sugar and can't tolerate them anymore. Seems a little sad to me but probably for the best.
The low sugar very dark chocolate is good for you in small daily doses. It is rich in anti-oxidants. The 100% tastes just like bakers chocolate as it contains no sugar at all.
It is very very acidic, though.
Posts: 1761 | From USA | Registered: May 2006
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treepatrol
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Dark chocolate its the magnesium in it and flavanoids.
-------------------- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Remember Iam not a Doctor Just someone struggling like you with Tick Borne Diseases.
posted
No, I am quite male, age 52! The cycling thing confused the doctors and I got a complete hormonal workup before the diagnosis of Lyme, confirmed by the Western Blot. I've since read that this corresponds to the die-off and the toxins released. Ugh! I am expecting this any day now and am hoping the Tetracycline and Buhner's protocol make a difference.
casey
Posts: 34 | From Kingston WA | Registered: Feb 2008
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Keebler
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And here's another side of it to consider when we purchase:
Not just how the chocolate is treated, but how the workers are treated.
Conventional cocoa is frequently grown with an abundance of harmful pesticides under conditions that threaten biodiversity. In West Africa, low pay for growers has led to underpaid workers and even child trafficking.
Though the U.S. organic chocolate market has increased to $70.8 million, up 49 percent from 2006, organic chocolate sales are still only a fraction of the $6 billion total, and Fair-Trade chocolate sales remain a meager 1 percent of the world chocolate market.
Look for products bearing one of the certifications below, and read more about their importance in The Backstory.
. . . . The "Fair Trade Certified" label is a third-party certification administered in the U.S. by TransFair USA, a member of Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO), and it means that cacao beans were purchased directly from growers or their cooperatives at a price higher than the commodity market rate . . . .
. . . Rainforest Alliance
Combining aspects of the certifications above, the Rainforest Alliance (RA) focuses on how farms are managed rather than how beans are traded, covering all aspects of production including environmental protection, worker rights and welfare and the interests of local communities.
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I also don't have a huge candida problem, so it's not an issue for me. Although I don't eat it every day...at all!
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