A gut craving for chocolate
Do your gut bacteria have a taste for chocolate?
Depending on the makeup of your gut's bacteria, this could very well be the case, according to one recent study.
The blood and urine of 11 non-chocoholics was compared to 11 men who indulged their taste for chocolate on a daily basis. Apparently, finding 11 men who did not eat chocolate was quite the ordeal: It took a year to locate those 11 men.
However, when they finally did get the study underway, the results of those samples told an interesting tale. For five days, the men who were healthy and at a healthy weight were given the same diet to eat. But their blood and urine samples showed that there were at least 12 different substances that were significantly different in the two groups of men.
Those differing substance levels are associated with certain types of gut bacteria. Glycine, an amino acid, was higher in the chocolate eaters. They also had lower levels of LDL "bad" cholesterol. The non-chocolate eaters had higher levels of taurine, which just happens to be an ingredient added to energy drinks such as Red Bull.
The study has laid the groundwork for further research that will take a look at how gut cravings could influence weight, or vice versa. That will build on prior research that has shown the types of bacteria your gut holds actually changes when weight is lost.
And if your gut is crying for chocolate, at least give it a little of the healthiest product you can find. I recommend 1 to 2 ounces of high quality, dark chocolate a few days per week. Some of my favorite brands are Scharffen Berger and Green and Black. Always aim for at least 70 percent cocoa content—it's the cocoa that gives it those antioxidative benefits, not the milk.
