Back in 1841 the Russian chemist Alekasandr Voskresensky discovered an alkaloid in the fruit of “Theobrama Cacao” (aka the cacao/cocoa tree). And he called it “Theobromine”, reflecting the etymology of “food of the goods” (aka, the cocoa tree -- called "Theobrama Cacao" by Carl Linnaeus) This discovery was part of a line of remarkable alkaloid discoveries starting with morphine (1804) that went on to include a range of other "interesting" stimulants and drugs such as caffeine (1820), nicotine (1828) and cocaine (1860). Theobromine is one of the reasons why chocolate is so delightful and so stimulating. But despite being remarkably similar in composition to caffeine theobromine's "stimulation" is quite different. Unlike other alkaloids, theobromine is not addictive, you won’t get withdrawal symptoms from missing your daily fix but at the same time, it does wonders for your heart, blood pressure and general mood. Theobromine is found in a number of plants and fruits – and most notably in cocoa and chocolate, and also in tea (camelia sinesis), carob, guarana and yarba mate.
HOW CAN I ACCESS SOME OF THESE WONDERFUL BENEFITS FROM THEOBRAMA? So the simple answer here is “eat some dark chocolate”. Remember that there are also a host of other great benefits from savouring chocolate – accessing valuable minerals like magnesium, zinc, selenium etc. whilst also releasing all sorts of wonders like serotonin, etc. which make you feel GREAT!!! Delight and relax without any jitteriness. Thank you Theobromine, food, and alkaloid, of the gods.
While we can't claim our chocolates are 'food of the gods' they are exceedingly delicious. Just one of our dark chocolates will improve your mood. Worth a try!
With thanks to Cocoa Runners for their information
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