Euphoric effects from cacao

[chucky]

I had exams recently and I ate whole bar of very dark chocolate during the exam. Cacao gave me some kind of narcotic/euphoric effect. I was feeling really really good on it. It never happened before I went low carb. Before low carb, it might have made me calmer or a bit sharper in thinking but nothing like this what I experienced during and after the exams.

I am wondering if low carb enhances the effects of cacao ?

[djr_81]

I'd wager a fair bit of the heightened euphoric effect was due to the fair amount of carbs in the chocolate. If you've been eating really low carbs it's quite a noticeable boost in both energy. In my experience it's a manic energy which doesn't sit well with me but to each his own.

[chucky]

I'd wager a fair bit of the heightened euphoric effect was due to the fair amount of carbs in the chocolate. If you've been eating really low carbs it's quite a noticeable boost in both energy. In my experience it's a manic energy which doesn't sit well with me but to each his own.

Nope, I haven't been low carbing constantly. Have to include some fruits from time to time when I'm short on meat. Sugar definitely wasn't the cause

[ForTheHunt]

Chocolate actually has a pretty profound effect on the brain.. My belief is that cacao is very toxic stuff. Same as coffee basically.

[TylerDurden]

Yes, I would avoid it if I were you. High-meat is better re focusing the mind, there being no side-effects.

[Furion]

Be careful of cacao.  Even a lot of raw vegans believe it is very toxic.

[chucky]

Be careful of cacao.  Even a lot of raw vegans believe it is very toxic.

I think that most of them believe that eating meat is unhealthy and toxic too.

There is too many subjects on cacao with different views... I haven't found no real studying saying that it is toxic.


I just see more benefits in it than unhealthy side effects. Magnesium, increased dopamine ( brain activity ), antioxidants and more.

[Hans89]

I think that most of them believe that eating meat is unhealthy and toxic too.

There is too many subjects on cacao with different views... I haven't found no real studying saying that it is toxic.


I just see more benefits in it than unhealthy side effects. Magnesium, increased dopamine ( brain activity ), antioxidants and more.

With that kind of reasoning, you might as well drink green tea, eat tofu etc. 

However dark, chocolate always contains refined sugar, one of the worst 'foods' ever infented, the beans are toasted... The fact that scientists have isolated subtances in chocolate that are supposedly beneficial doesn't mean that eating chocolate is beneficial at all.

[Raw Kyle]

I think cacao fits into the category of toxic since it contains a fair amount of the psycho active stimulant and diuretic drug caffeine.

[chucky]

With that kind of reasoning, you might as well drink green tea, eat tofu etc.  

However dark, chocolate always contains refined sugar, one of the worst 'foods' ever infented, the beans are toasted... The fact that scientists have isolated subtances in chocolate that are supposedly beneficial doesn't mean that eating chocolate is beneficial at all.

Actually it was from the health food store and it contained raw bamboo sugar (I think it's the same as brown sugar) but sugar is sugar. I agree that chocolate bars are processed, heated so as with meat some toxic byproducts are created. But raw cacao beans. I really want to get my hand on them for some time. I can't make my high-meat at home to boost my mood like Tyler said.

I am not sure if I remember it right but some aztecs or mayans drank about 30 cups of chocolate a day. I don't think they would have embraced it if it made them sick later.

[Hans89]

Actually it was from the health food store and it contained raw bamboo sugar (I think it's the same as brown sugar) but sugar is sugar. I agree that chocolate bars are processed, heated so as with meat some toxic byproducts are created. But raw cacao beans. I really want to get my hand on them for some time. I can't make my high-meat at home to boost my mood like Tyler said.

I am not sure if I remember it right but some aztecs or mayans drank about 30 cups of chocolate a day. I don't think they would have embraced it if it made them sick later.

You could get the raw beans by mail order. I tried them before, but they were not really tasty, so I ended up throwing them away. I also wonder about anti-nutrients in them, as they are technically legumes.
 About the high meat, how about hiding a jar somewhere outside and airing it every day?

 Another question is, why do you need something to boost your mood? If you find the answer to that, you may come up with a better solution than eating chocolate.

[Arthas_]

Before I started this RAf diet, I would get a bowl of home made yogurt with granola and a couple of table spoons of cacao powder almost every night. I guess I'm immune to the cacao effects. Also coffee doesn't seem to stimulate me. I could drink lots of coke cans or energy drinks and again it did nothing to me. I used to be addicted to sugar, I remember some days I would have sugar loaded crap all day. You know here in Brazil it's very common to find all-you-can-eat buffets and they are cheap(affordable at least). So insted of going to one of those many restaurants, with a wide range of options, I insted preferred a sweet cookie, or a chocolate bar, or some ice cream or whatever sweet I could find. Once when I was a kid, I got a big basket full of chocolate eggs, sweet peanuts and all sort of treats. That day I skipped lunch and dinner and stuck with those sweets all day long.

[chucky]

Before I started this RAf diet, I would get a bowl of home made yogurt with granola and a couple of table spoons of cacao powder almost every night. I guess I'm immune to the cacao effects. Also coffee doesn't seem to stimulate me. I could drink lots of coke cans or energy drinks and again it did nothing to me. I used to be addicted to sugar, I remember some days I would have sugar loaded crap all day. You know here in Brazil it's very common to find all-you-can-eat buffets and they are cheap(affordable at least). So insted of going to one of those many restaurants, with a wide range of options, I insted preferred a sweet cookie, or a chocolate bar, or some ice cream or whatever sweet I could find. Once when I was a kid, I got a big basket full of chocolate eggs, sweet peanuts and all sort of treats. That day I skipped lunch and dinner and stuck with those sweets all day long.

When I was a kid I was a sugar addict just like you described. I ate tons of chocolate. It seems that cacao has better effect on me when I am doing low carb now

Hans,

I got mood with confidence and I liked it. It was pleasure to communicate with people and do all sorts of other things.

[chucky]

I started to think why my face flushes less or not at all when I eat cacao. It could be because it has pain relieving effect and I have a problem with ingrown toe nail (Well I cut the problematic nail part away long time ago but now it has some small infection and does hurt). Can inflammation of wound cause anxiety ?
Or the other thing is magnesium! Ketogenic diet can deplete electrolytes. Has anybody checked their magnesium ? It could be low for me. I might try lots of pumpkin seeds...

[NEUROSPORT]

next time you want to get high on chocolate - use 85% valrhona bar - it will knock you out ...

[King Salmon]

The most "reasonable" description of cacao that I've heard so far is:Cacao is a stimulant Not a food.

note:I've been using cacao in my smoothies,but I will start to tone it down and possibly eliminate it.

[NEUROSPORT]

The most "reasonable" description of cacao that I've heard so far is:Cacao is a stimulant Not a food.

note:I've been using cacao in my smoothies,but I will start to tone it down and possibly eliminate it.

yes cacao is a drug.  you can even buy chocamine by itself at certain bulk nutrition websites and get high off of that ( but i haven't tried it - why bother ?  i can just use real cocoa )

i probably eat about a cup of cocoa powder a day in my protein shakes - i really need to slow down lol.

but valrhona chocolate somehow is stronger than even straight cocoa powder.  i don't use it though because its too addictive, too expensive and has sugar in it.