The real deal on chocolate

Vegetarian Times, August, 1998 by Cristin Marandino

Okay, so the rich, creamy stuff isn't good for you, but it might not be all that bad for you either. Long believed to be the source of many a migraine, chocolate, it turns out, may not be the culprit after all. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center recruited 63 women who experience chronic migraines and tension headaches and asked them to avoid all sources of caffeine, including chocolate, as well as a variety of other possible headache triggers like monosodium glutamate and aspartame.

The women were then twice given chocolate and twice given carob (an all-natural chocolate-like substance with a different chemical make-up). Surprisingly, only three women reported headaches after consuming the chocolate. The results led researchers to theorize that headaches may be caused by the situations in which women tend to crave chocolate (e.g., PMS or stress) and not by the chocolate itself. Also under examination is the possibility that the pain may be brought on only when the chemicals in chocolate meet up with the chemicals in certain foods. In any case, it's good news to us!