Although chocolate is generally not on a list of food fighting foods, this sweet treat can relax things. Confections containing dairy products can bring intolerant lactose intolerant to obtain diarrhea after consuming chocolate as well as other side effects such as gas and bloating. In addition, fiber and caffeine in ordinary chocolate can have a laxative effect.
Caffeine and fibers in chocolate
If you have already wanted to go just after drinking your morning coffee, you have experienced laxative effects of caffeine. According to Integris Health, caffeine can increase the rate of motility, which is the contraction of muscles in the digestive tract that encourage stool.
The amount of caffeine in the chocolate depends on the type of chocolate. Generally, the higher the cocoa content – and therefore the closer the chocolate – the higher the level of caffeine. For example, according to the American department of agriculture (USDA), an ounce of dark chocolate with 70 to 85% cocoa solids at 22.7 milligrams (MG) of caffeine, while an ounce of dark chocolate with 45 to 59% at 12.2 mg.
It is not much compared to an infused cup of coffee, which has 94.8 mg of caffeine, according to the USDA. However, if you eat more than one ounce of chocolate, you could get the shopping. And if you eat a lot of chocolate and drink a lot of coffee, you could take too much caffeine, which, according to the international foundation of gastrointestinal disorders, is a common cause of chronic diarrhea.
Chocolate also contains fibers – the indigestible parts of plant foods that help move food through the digestive tract, according to the Mayo clinic. Eating enough fiber is crucial to prevent constipation and normalize stool, according to Johnson Memorial Health. But a large dose can immediately make you feel the urgent call of nature, especially for people who do not eat a lot of fibers.
The closer the chocolate, the more fiber it has. An ounce (Oz) of chocolate with 70 to 80 percent of solid cocoa has 3 grams (g) of fiber. This is probably not enough to have an immediate laxative effect. But if you eat an entire 3.5 oz dark chocolate bar, you will get about 11 g of fiber in a single session, which, with the 79 mg of caffeine, could really make you move forward – so to speak.
Chocolate containing dairy products
According to Mount Sinai, up to 30 million American adults are lactose intolerant to a certain extent when they are 20 years old. This means that they are unable to digest lactose, natural sugar in dairy products. Current symptoms of lactose intolerance include bloating, cramps, gas and diarrhea.
Ordinary dark chocolate is often without dairy products. However, milk chocolate and other chocolate confectionery contains dairy products, according to Mayo Clinic. If you get diarrhea after eating chocolate, check the ingredient list.
Dairy products are in many forms and labels do not always list milk or cream as an ingredient. Other ingredients containing dairy products can hide in your favorite chocolate treat, according to Go Dairy Free. These include:
- Casein
- Butter solid
- Sodium box
- Whey
- Nougat
- Lactoferrine
- Barracks
There are also many others. It is worth printing a list of all the ingredients related to dairy products so that you can reference it when choosing chocolate.
Milk allergy can cause certain symptoms similar to lactose intolerance, but this is a much more serious question, notes Mayo Clinic. Milk allergy is an immune response to milk proteins, and symptoms can be potentially fatal. Look for immediate medical care if you feel hives, itching around the mouth, whistling breathing, vomiting, shortness of breath or swelling of your lips, your tongue or your throat.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/VWH-What-Happens-When-You-Take-Garlic-and-Fish-Oil-Together-f1ce060f5bc64dd0b24b5e04b8dba3cc.jpg?w=390&resize=390,220&ssl=1 "What’s going on when you take garlic and fish oil together?")
