I know there are a lot of people who cannot consume products that contain caffeine, due to the effects caffeine has on the heart. For instance, coffee contains a high amount of caffeine and can be dangerous for people with heart conditions. A logical alternative is decaffeinated coffee for those who love coffee. But what about chocolate? Doesn’t chocolate naturally contain caffeine and how can it be good for the heart if it does contain caffeine? These are some of the questions I wanted to find answers for in this week’s post.
The first place I looked for answers was on Dr. Steve Warren’s web site. Since Dr. Warren is an authority on healthy chocolate, I decided to visit his FAQ page. Here I found an inquiry asking if healthy chocolate products contain caffeine, to which he replied, “Pure cocoa beans without the fiber and husk have zero to a very, very small amount of caffeine.” But my question is, “How much is a very small amount?”
Next I visited David Wolfe’s web site, Sunfood Nutrition. David Wolfe is one of the world’s top authorities on chocolate and other organic superfoods. He claims that, contrary to popular opinion, cacao is a poor source of caffeine. In fact, he says, “A typical sample of cacao nibs or cacao beans will yield anywhere from zero caffeine to 1,000 parts per million of caffeine (less than 1/20th of the caffeine present in coffee).” Now I was starting to get somewhere!
Then I ran across a post entitled, “Caffeine in chocolate,” by Laura Evans. She states that a typical one ounce piece of dark chocolate contains about 20 mg of caffeine, whereas an ounce of milk chocolate has approximately 6 mg of caffeine. Remember our discussion a couple weeks ago comparing dark chocolate to white chocolate in “Indulge in the Dark Side“? Well it turns out that white chocolate contains only trace amounts of caffeine, if that, because white chocolate doesn’t contain cocoa solids, just cocoa butter. Also notice that the darker the chocolate (the greater the cacao content), the more caffeine it contains.
But how does this all stack up against coffee and other caffeine laden products? Here is a chart for comparison (actual amounts can vary):
| Product | Serving Size | Caffeine Content |
|---|---|---|
| Decaffeintated Brewed Coffee | 6 oz | 5 mg |
| Milk Chocolate | 1 oz | 6 mg |
| Dark Chocolate | 1 oz | 20 mg |
| Coca Cola Classic | 12 oz | 34 mg |
| Sunkist Orange Soda | 12 oz | 42 mg |
| Diet Coke | 12 oz | 47 mg |
| Iced Tea | 12 oz. | 70 mg |
| Vault | 12 oz | 70 mg |
| Brewed Coffee | 7 oz | 108 mg |
| Red Bull | 12 oz | 116 mg |
For more info about caffeine content in foods and beverages, visit www.Erowid.org.
Comparatively speaking, the caffeine content in healthy chocolate is minimal, considering the large amounts of caffeine found in other products. I would still caution those who are very sensitive to caffeine, to eat chocolate in moderation.
Keeping this in mind, I personally recommend the Xoçai brand healthy chocolate I eat because of the combination of rich, dark chocolate (70% cacao) with açai berries and blueberries. For more information, please visit my Healthy Chocolate Web Site.
In future posts, I expect to be blogging about the effects of dark chocolate on those interested in weight loss, incereased energy and overall well being. Until then, enjoy a rich, dark piece of healthy chocolate!
This is fascinating, David.
My daughter cannot handle caffeine in drinks. It does more than make her shake — it gives her the hee-bee-gee-bees. She just wants to get outside herself. I think she has an allergy to it. ( l know this is how large amounts of the red dye #40 affects me, though I can eat a little.)
But she can eat small amounts of chocolate — loves the little healthy chocolate squares. The caffeine there — in the chocolate — must be different from that in coffee. (She can drink decaf coffee, with its minimal amounts of caffeine.)
Your site is so information loaded — I’m always asking the source of any “fact” offered. You certainly back up your statements well.
Barb
Hi David,
This is a very nice article. It’s a great idea to have three sources to back up your information. Great job!
Syl
How interesting, David, I had NO earthly idea orange soda had caffeine at all let alone that amount…whew causing me to research further for those grands. Interesting info you always have, thanks!
It’s amazing
David,
A well researched and interesting post. It has been about 6 weeks since you posted this and I am hoping that you will find the time soon to write some more!
IZM1og comment6 ,
Hmmm, that was interesting. Looks like somethings will always remain mystery.
I myself has been trying to solve the mystery of the legend that forces you to have “earn it before
having it”, for a wile now. Could not understand much though.
Let me know in case you get to understand the mystery of the Old Hound and the Legend
By the way, good writing style. I’d love to read more on similar topics
Man, I followed that the dark truth link, and was completely in the story. Damn exciting. The latest post talks about a friend of him who’s gone missing . Somewhere on his way to Leh, India. And the guy is asking for help find it. Soundss like an online game . This looks interesting. M already hooked on.
Hey, btw, nice post you have there – keep rocking –
Hey!
I WOULDNT ADVISE CHOCOLATE WITH ACAI BERRIES IN IF YOUR THINKING ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO DONT CONSUME CAFFEINE. Acai has caffeine in it – i think a relatively high amount. Dark chocolate, as i think you said, also contains caffeine. I read that just 10mg of caffeine is enough to have a noticable effect on someone… (read the last few paragraphs of this article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061012185602.htm )
Hi Alex,
According to the article you cited at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061012185602.htm I note the following:
“Carefully controlled studies show that caffeine doses as low as about 10 milligrams can produce reliable subjective and behavioral effects in sensitive individuals,” said Roland Griffiths, Ph.D., a professor of behavioral biology and neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. “More than 30 percent can discriminate the subjective effects of 18 milligrams or less. The present study shows that many decaffeinated coffee drinks deliver caffeine at doses above these levels.
The chart in my article indicates that one ounce of dark chocolate can contain as much as 20mg of caffeine. The reason for this, as I stated in the post, is because dark chocolate contains cocoa solids which have a minimal amount of caffeine. So you are correct, people that are very sensitive to caffeine can have a reaction to dark chocolate and should be careful consuming it.