Why Dark Chocolate is so Toxic ... For Your Dog

January 22, 2007

http://www.mercola.com/2005/oct/4/why_dark_chocolate_is_so_toxic___for_your_dog.htm

This interesting piece in the British Medical Journal explains why dark chocolate can be fatal if swallowed by a dog.

The main components of chocolate that are toxic to dogs are the methylxanthine alkaloids, theobromine and caffeine. Humans can easily digest and excrete these alkaloids in two to three hours, but dogs take a very long time -- 18 hours -- to absorb them, thus the problem. Often, symptoms can take as long as a day to appear, and no specific antidote exists.

Unprocessed chocolate contains the purest, highest and most lethal concentrations of theobromine for dogs, while milk and white chocolate have a fraction of those alkaloids.

The size of the dog also determines how damaging chocolate consumption will be, with smaller dogs having more difficulties.

British Medical Journal September 17, 2005; 331 (633)

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

I thought this would be an interesting piece to share in light of all the studies I've posted recently about the benefits of eating chocolate, which contains flavanoids that are chock full of antioxidants that are beneficial to humans.

To get the benefits of chocolate without risking your health, however, remember these key points:

If you eat chocolate, only eat DARK chocolate. Although it is deadly to dogs, it is the best kind for humans. The milk in other kinds of chocolate cancels out the antioxidant effects. Also bear in mind that, even for dark chocolate, most cocoa is processed in ways that destroy the majority of the beneficial polyphenolic bioflavanoids.

Only eat chocolate if you're healthy. Chocolate, even if it is dark, still contains large quantities of sugar, and eating sugar is a profoundly negative influence on your immune system.

Consume it in moderation. A small bit of chocolate can be very satisfying if you savor each bite, rather than just wolfing it down. If you are constantly craving sweets, you may not be eating the correct balance of foods for your metabolic type, or you may need to resolve some underlying emotional issues driving you to seek comfort from chocolate.

Incidentally, while doing some research for this posting, I stumbled onto news about other foods that can be toxic if eaten by your dogs and cats: Grapes and raisins.