Chocolate contains negligible amounts of caffeine, but higher levels of theobromine, which can act as a diuretic, vasodilator, and heart stimulant. Phenethylamine, which has a psychoactive effect, is metabolized by an enzyme in the human body, while tryptophan has a calming effect. Sweet chocolates have a lower cocoa content and less caffeine than bitter chocolates.
Chocolate is derived from the cacao tree and is generally made into sweets in the western world, although it can also be drunk or eaten in bitter or spiced forms. It’s one of the most popular flavors on earth for candy, and it varies widely in both style and cost. High-end chocolates have seen a rebound in recent years, but traditional stocks still account for a large portion of candy sales in the United States and Europe. However, in addition to often having added sugar, many people have heard that caffeine is present in chocolate, raising concerns that it might keep people awake or agitate them.
Although there are a number of stimulants in chocolate, the caffeine present is negligible and therefore does not have much of an effect on energy or mood. The sugar in chocolate is much more likely to give you an energy boost or make people feel agitated, especially in sweeter chocolates. Sweet chocolates actually have a lower cocoa content and therefore have even less amount of caffeine already found in the cocoa bean. There are three other main compounds found in chocolate that can affect mood and energy: theobromine, tryptophan, and phenethylamine.
Although phenethylamine has a psychoactive effect, significant amounts do not tend to reach the brain after ingesting chocolate. Despite this, a widespread theory linking chocolate to love was pushed forward in the 1980s and persists to some extent. In truth, however, phenethylamine is metabolized by an enzyme in the human body, MAO-B, so it ultimately has very little effect. Tryptophan, best known for its presence in Turkey, is also present in moderate amounts in chocolate, but has a calming, rather than an energizing, effect.
Theobromine, one of the distinctive alkaloids in chocolate, and the one that gives it its characteristic bitter taste, belongs to the methylxanthine class of chemicals. This is the same class that caffeine belongs to, and theobromine has some similar properties. There is approximately 20 mg of theobromine in a gram of cocoa, which is not a negligible amount. Theobromine, like caffeine, acts as a diuretic, vasodilator, and heart stimulant. In fact, it is responsible for many of the effects that people associate with caffeine in chocolate, and is responsible for poisoning in dogs and cats, so it is suggested that animals not ingest chocolate.
As for the caffeine itself, there is actually very little of it in chocolate. When compared to regular cups of caffeine, it becomes clear that the amount of caffeine found in chocolate probably doesn’t have a major effect on most people. One ounce (30 g) of milk chocolate, for example, contains 6 mg of caffeine, compared to 19 mg of caffeine in one ounce (30 g) of coffee. The amount of theobromine in a similar amount of chocolate, on the other hand, is much, much higher. Since theobromine has similar effects to caffeine, although it is not as intense, it is likely that most people who see a response to chocolate will react to theobromine.
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