Chocolate is a food source of magnesium, alongside coffee.[1] Food sources of magnesium are generally preferred over chemical supplements, since manufactured magnesium supplements commonly carry impurities that can cause bowel inflammation.[2]

Theobromine

[edit]

Theobromine is a mild stimulant alkaloid in cocoa and chocolate, related to caffeine but affecting heart and smooth muscle more than caffeine's classic brain effect. Cocoa supplies theobromine, some caffeine, magnesium, and copper; with sugar, chocolate is a metabolic food for many people, though empty-stomach megadoses are a different experiment. Drop it if pulse, sleep, or gut clearly worsen.[3]

Menstrual pain

[edit]

A single-blind randomized trial comparing 35g of 70% dark chocolate, 330 mL coconut water, and 400 mg ibuprofen for primary dysmenorrhea found dark chocolate reduced pain more than coconut water, but ibuprofen still outperformed dark chocolate; the flavanol epicatechin in cocoa is a proposed COX-2 inhibitor that may explain the chocolate effect.[4]

Recipes

[edit]
Flourless chocolate cake
From ReciPeatsFlourless chocolate cake

A simple way to use chocolate as a magnesium source.

Chocolate fudge
From ReciPeatsChocolate fudge

A treat built around chocolate.

All chocolate recipes

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Ray Peat, email correspondence, "Magnesium," raypeatemails.com, https://raypeatemails.com/Topics/Magnesium
  2. ↑ Ray Peat, email correspondence, "Magnesium," raypeatemails.com, https://raypeatemails.com/Topics/Magnesium
  3. ↑ Ray Peat, Ray Peat email Q&A - Caffeine, raypeatemails.com.
  4. ↑ "Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial: Comparative Efficacy of Dark Chocolate, Coconut Water, and Ibuprofen in Managing Primary Dysmenorrhea," 2023. PMID 37623203.