Is Chocoholism Real?

People who eat large amounts of chocolate often identify themselves, jokingly or seriously, as chocoholics. This word, which is a neologism derived by combining the word "chocolate" with the word "alcoholic" refers to a perceived physical or psychological addiction to chocolate or its constituent chemicals.

A mental or psychosomatic "addiction" can be gained from nearly any food, owing to the release of endorphins when any pleasurable activity is engaged. However, a true medical addiction differs in that it creates physiological withdrawal symptoms, as well. Some biologists, nutritionists, and chocolate-lovers have asked themselves if chocoholism is a true addiction or simply a humorous social construct.

There is no doubt that chocolate contains a number of powerful compounds that act on the human brain and body, creating feelings of euphoria, happiness, and even sexual arousal. However, whether they are present in chocolate in amounts large enough to cause physiological addiction is a different question entirely.

The most commonly identified chemical cited in chocolate addiction is theobromine, an alkaloid stimulant that acts on the body in ways similar to caffeine. It is known to have stimulant, euphoric, and aphrodisiac effects and is found in greater concentrations in chocolate than in any other food. Because it acts on the central nervous system, it has been occasionally cited as a source of chocoholism.

However, theobromine is, over all, a relatively non-addictive substance. It is much weaker and significantly less addictive than comparable amounts of caffeine, meaning that extremely large quantities of chocolate would need to be consumed on a daily basis to reach a point of true addiction to theobromine itself.

But theobromine does not act alone on the central nervous system to create chocoholic euphoria. Caffeine, also found in chocolate and chemically similar to theobromine, is known to be one of the most physiologically addictive drugs in the world. Although the symptoms of caffeine addiction are mild, millions of people throughout the world suffer from it.

Still, the caffeine found in chocolate is still found in amounts too low to cause true, physiological addiction, although it may be a contributing factor to chocoholism. In fact, a two-ounce semisweet chocolate bar contains only about 44 milligrams of caffeine, or the equivalent of one-third of a cup of coffee.

The chances of addiction from eating a two-ounce bar every day, then, are only equivalent to the chances of addiction from someone having a few sips of coffee every day. Several chocolate sources would need to be consumed regularly to reach a point of caffeine addiction.

Another factor that may play a role in chocoholism is the tryptophan found in most forms of chocolate. Tryptophan, most famously found in turkey, but also found in egg, beans, rice, pork, and cheese, is known to balance levels of the mood-boosting neurotransmitter serotonin, leading to chocolate's reputation as an antidepressant. Even the relatively low amounts of tryptophan found in chocolate might have some effect on mood, but it has never been shown to be addictive in any way.

While extremely high consumption of chocolate might lead to a partial, mild addiction, chocoholism is most likely a social construct. Many foods contain mildly psychoactive stimulants with the potential to become addictive in massive amounts. However, the mood-elevating effects of chocolate are self-regulating and do not generally lead to physiological addiction except in extreme circumstances.

3 Biggest Lies Told by Alternative Medicine Practitioners

Health fraud is everywhere, and both conventional and alternative health care providers perpetuate it -- willingly or unwillingly. Many integrative health care providers practice forms evidence-based medicine that offer benefits beyond those provided by allopathic care. Others, however, actively engage in pseudoscience and fraud. The following are the three most common lies told by quack practitioners of alternative medicine:

1. All diseases are caused by _______.

Yeast. Chronic dehydration. Parasites. Acid imbalance. Vitamin deficiency.

Heard these claims before? Many practitioners of alternative medicine simplify disease by claiming that all medical conditions have a single underlying cause. Ironically, Hulda Clark-- author of The Cure for All Diseases and The Cure for All Cancers-- died of cancer after telling people for decades that all diseases, including cancer, were caused by an intestinal parasite.

In reality, many common conditions can be attributed to these allegedly universal underlying causes. Vitamin deficiency and chronic dehydration may contribute to chronic fatigue. Parasites may be an underdiagnosed cause of with irritable bowel syndrome. Yeast may cause chronic sinus infections. But no practitioner worth his salt should assume that psoriasis, depression and brain tumors are all caused by an acidic bloodstream. This lack of logic betrays a dangerously elementary notion of medical science.

2. _______ can cure everything.

Probiotics. Omega-3 fats. Acai. Juice Plus. Colon cleansing. Mon Avie.

Yeah, you've heard this one, too. This lie is most often perpetuated by people involved in multi-level marketing schemes. Just as pharmaceutical companies may influence your medical doctor's opinions-- for better or for worse-- multi-level marketing gigs may influence your holistic healer. If any health care provider, alternative or otherwise, ever suggests that a single product can heal every disease, I urge you to run-- don't walk-- to the nearest exit.

Many products do offer a variety of benefits. Some products and practices-- like omega-3 supplements, acupuncture and a high-veggie diet-- show genuine promise as treatment options for multiple conditions. However, a health care provider should never sell a $50 bottle of fruit juice to people seeking everything from weight loss to cancer cures. This form of practice is nothing more than an irresponsible method for deriving profit from people who are desperate for a one-way solution.

3. Your doctor is part of a huge conspiracy.

Thank Mr. Kevin Trudeau for perpetuating this lie.

Let's face it: there are lies and cover-ups within the pharmaceutical industry, within the medical industry, and (yes, indeed) within the supplement industry. Your doctor might have fallen for a bit of Big Pharma's propaganda. Any physician who prescribes Zoloft to kids or Lamictal for anxiety knows that these uses are not backed by any current form of scientific evidence. In these cases, it is the conventional doctor-- not the naturopath-- who is practicing "alternative" or unscientific medicine.

However, this doesn't mean that your doctor is out to get you. Your physician may not know that saw palmetto outperforms Proscar for benign prostatic hyperplasia. He may not know that conclusive scientific evidence backs the use of fish oil to treat hypertension and hypertriglyceridemia. He may not know that aromatherapy can decrease a person's dependence on pain medications. This isn't because your doctor is a pawn of Big Pharma-- it's simply because he isn't intimately familiar with integrative medicine.

Before casting your well-educated health care provider as a brutal enemy who is out to get you, understand what is-- and what isn't-- your doctor's area of expertise. Want to ask him about kava? Bring a print-out from the National Institutes of Health or a respected institution like the University of Maryland Medical Center. Want to refuse to take an off-label drug? Bring in a copy of a Cochrane review and give the drug company a call to find out any information about clinical trials.

Regardless of whether you choose alternative medicine, conventional medicine or a combination of the two, maintain your stance as an informed consumer. Your body, money and time are too precious for you to waste time with unproven treatments and quack remedies-- regardless of whether you stand on the "alternative" or "conventional" side of the health care fence.

How to Detox Your Body Without Supplements

Supplements, laxatives and special diets designe to "detox" the body are extremely popular, especially among advocates of alternative medicine. There's certainly nothing wrong with wanting to flush unwanted toxins from your body, but many of these body-cleansing programs are unsafe or unreasonably expensive.

Did you know that you can detox without supplement of any kind? You can skip all the cost and side effects of these products by making healthy lifestyle choices-- using your diet and environment as your first line of defense against toxic build-up.

Here are some steps to take to cleanse your body without supplements.

1. Detox your environment. Minimize your exposure to everyday toxins and pollutants, including cleaning products, aerosols, pesticides and cigarette smoke. Stay away from environments that might make exposure to these pollutants more likely. Green your home, workplace and automobile-- the places where you spend the majority of your time-- to whatever degree you find possible.

2. Detox your diet. Eliminate hydrogenated oils, refined sugar, corn syrup, artificial flavor, artificial sweeteners, high-fat dairy products, meat, shellfish and white grains from your diet. Depending on what your diet is like now, you may need to eliminate these products one step at a time. These foods contribute to heart disease, cancer formation,, learning problems, chronic fatigue and constipation. By taking them out of your diet, you can cleanse your body without supplements.

3. Eat cleansing foods. Increase your intake of cleansing foods that are rich in antioxidants and fiber. These help to detox your colon while shielding your cells from the dangerous effects of free radicals. Choose colorful leafy vegetables such as spinach, collard, mustard, romaine and turnip greens, as well as carrots, squash, tomatoes and sweet potatoes. Also seek colorful fruits like blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, pomegranate and grape. Seek high-fiber, lean protein sources like beans, lentils and other legumes.

4. Use water to flush away toxins. Increase your fluid intake to at least eight tall glasses each day. Water is a great choice as your primary fluid source, but you can also choose high-antioxidant unsweetened teas like green tea, black tea, white tea, rooibos and dandelion. These offer antioxidants and flavor as well as a great fluid source. They can help to treat constipation, relieve chronic fatigue and prevent urinary tract infections, without the need for supplements.

5, Eat living foods. Probiotics found in kombucha, yogurt, buttermilk, sour cream and kimchee can cleanse your body without supplements by promoting digestive health, immune support and health of your genital and urinary systems. You don't have to take probiotic supplements to get the detoxifying benefits of probiotics.

Aromatherapy for Sleep

Insomnia is one of the most common health complaints addressed by aromatherapy. That's for a very good reason. Mayo Clinic states that insomnia is very common, and that many of the treatments for it aren't very safe. Prescription sleep aids in general tend to be addictive, so many people look toward safer alternatives like aromatherapy. Aromatherapy, which is the use of plant-based essentially oils for medicinal purposes, might help to ease the symptoms of insomnia and help you get a good night's sleep.

Aromatherapy for sleep can involves any of a number of heavily scented oils. Some of the most common scented sedatives include oils of lavender, clary sage, and Roman chamomile. Less commonly used aromatherapy for sleep might make use of vanilla, bergamot, vetivier, cardamom, and lemon balm. These can be used individually, or in combination with one another to enhance their properties. You may choose to use them in massage oils, warm or hot baths, or diffusors, or you might simply combine them with water and use them as a bed spray or air freshener. Always remember not to put undiluted essential oils directly on your skin.

Unfortunately, there are drawbacks to using aromatherapy for sleep. Because it hasn't been studied extensively for its use as a sleep aid, most aromatherapy for sleep is based on tradition and anecdote. No one is completely sure if aromatherapy works very well, or if it works mostly because of the placebo effect and the expectation and anticipation of relief. Because aromatherapy relies on sense of smell by nature, there's not a way to test aromatherapy against, for example, a placebo spray.

Aromatherapy isn't completely without side effects, either, as Dr. Brent A. Bower points out. In some people who are sensitive to specific oils or have medical conditions such as asthma, aromatherapy for sleep can cause difficulty breathing or skin rashes. We also don't know if aromatherapy is safe for pregnant and nursing moms, whose youngsters might be sensitive to the essential oils used in aromatherapy.

Still, if you aren't allergic to aromatherapy essential oils and have never experienced a rash or trouble breathing because of them, it's probably worth a shot, especially if you check with your doctor beforehand. Your health care provider can help to figure out if something else could be causing your insomnia, such as stress, thyroid disease, or clinical anxiety, and can help you to navigate appropriate treatments. In addition to aromatherapy, your doctor may recommend lifestyle adjustments such as exercise, meditation, and a more regular schedule, to help you get a full night's sleep without prescription drugs. If aromatherapy for sleep doesn't help you enough, don't hesitate to check in with your doctor.

13 AIDS Denialists Who Have Died of AIDS

AIDS denialism-- a loosely conglomerated movement comprised primarily of HIV-positive conspiracy theorists-- has its appeal. Who wouldn't, after hearing the grim diagnosis of HIV, want to believe that the virus is innoccuous? Proponents of AIDS denialism believe that HIV is a harmless carrier virus and that it has nothing to do with AIDS. Unfortunately, the phenomenon of AIDS denialism has led to hundreds of thousands of deaths throughout the world.

In fact, nearly a half-million AIDS deaths have been attributed to former South African president Thabo Mbeki's AIDS denialism. With adequate funding, medical care and education, most of these AIDS deaths could have been prevented. Unfortunately, thousands of HIV-positive people still skip condoms and avoid treatment because they refuse to accept the virus's undoubable link to AIDS. Almost all AIDS denialists die prematurely of HIV-related infections.

The list is extensive, but here are just a few outspoken AIDS denialists who have died of AIDS.

1. Christine Maggiore

The founder of "Alive and Well AIDS Alternatives," Christine Maggiore successfully convinced thousands of HIV-positive people to avoid treatment and to practice unprotected sex. After refusing to take antiretrovirals during pregnancy, she gave birth to daughter who appeared to be HIV-positive. The girl was severely underweight and frequently sick, but Maggiore denied that her daughter could possibly have AIDS. Tragically-- and predictably-- Maggiore's daughter died of AIDS at age three. Her death could have been prevented by proper treatment.

Christine Maggiore herself died a few years later of pneumonia and a systemic yeast infection-- two opportunistic infections characteristic of advanced AIDS.

2. Marietta Ndziba

A classic example of someone who trusted multi-level marketing in lieu of effective medical care, Marietta Ndziba was one of many South African AIDS sufferers who believed claims that multivitamin supplements could cure HIV and prevent AIDS. Shortly before her death, she claimed that she was extremely healthy despite her AIDS diagnosis, attributing her success to micronutrient supplements.

Marietta Ndziba died of AIDS while pursuing her multivitamin regimen. Her relatives, desperate to stand by her AIDS denialism, claimed that she died of a stress headache.

3. David Pasquarelli

The leader of the AIDS denialist group ACT UP San Francisco, David Pasquarelli was a good-hearted but deeply misled activist. Pasquarelli believed that HIV and AIDS were completely unrelated phenomena. He believed that AIDS was the product of a homophonic and eugenic government conspiracy, and that people with HIV could lead healthy lives without medical treatment.

Pasquarelli died of AIDS at age 37. His causes of death read as a nearly all-inclusive list of HIV-defining conditions. Among his terminal diseases were anemia, thrush, meningitis, mycobacterium, CMV and PCP.

4. Casper G. Schmidt

AIDS denialism is even scarier when its proponents include medical practitioners. Dr. Casper Schmidt, a licensed psychiatrist, authored an article entitled, "The Group-Fantasy Origins of AIDS," which suggests that AIDS is nothing more than a massive case of "epidemic hysteria." Schmidt believed not only that HIV did not cause AIDS, but also that AIDS itself did not exist. (Note that this was in the mid-1980s, when AIDS denialism might have still appeared somewhat plausible.)

Predictably and tragically, Dr. Schmidt died of AIDS ten years after authoring his AIDS-denialist article. Proponents of his theories still cite his "research," even though Schmidt's death itself reveals the fallacy of his theory.

5. Jody Wells

An outspoken AIDS denialist, Jody Wells founded the UK-based AIDS denialist newsletter "Continuum." He and the other editors of Continuum promoted the notion that AIDS was a conspiracy and that it was unrelated to HIV. Wells believed that AIDS fears were founded in homophobia, not science.

Jody Wells died of AIDs in 1995.

6. Tony Tompsett

One of Continuum's most prolific contributors, Tony Tompsett wrote for the AIDS denialist movement from 1993 until his death in 1998. At age 39, Tompsett passed away from Kaposi's sarcoma, pneumonia and toxoplasmosis-- three diseases utterly characteristic of HIV infection and AIDS.

7. Huw Christie

A gay rights activist and AIDS denialist, Huw Christie also wrote and edited the denialist magazine Continuum. He died in 2001 of Kaposi's sarcoma-- a herpes-related tumor viewed as one of the classic AIDS-defining illnesses.

All of Continuum's editors have now died of AIDS, so the denialist newsletter is no longer published.

8. Sylvie Cousseau

An extremely vocal AIDS denialist, Sylvie Cousseau gathered testimonials from "healthy" people who were living with HIV and refusing medical treatment. Most, if not all, of the people who contributed testimonials to Cousseau's list have developed AIDS and/or died from the condition.

Cousseau himself died of AIDS in 2001.

9. Scott Zanetti

One of the contributors to Cousseau's list of "AIDS-free" HIV sufferers, Scott Zanetti was active in the AIDS denialist community. Shortly after authoring a heartwarming testimonial about his medication-free, illness-free, HIV-positive life, Zanetti in 2002. His cause of death? Yes, you guessed it. AIDS.

10. Peter Mokaba

South African politician Peter Mokaba, a prominent AIDS denialist, was the ruler of the ruling political party known as the African National Congress. Mokaba was HIV positive, but refused treatment because he viewed pharmaceutical drugs as poisonous. He died in 2002 of AIDS-related pneumonia.

11. Raphael Lombardo

A regular poster to the "Virusmyth" AIDS denialist messageboard, Raphael Lombardo wrote in May of 1995 that he was HIV positive but not at all sick. He claimed that he was extremely healthy and knew that his HIV was harmless, so he refused any treatment with conventional drugs. Lombardo died of AIDS only a year after claiming that he was in extraordinarily good health.

12. Jack Levine

Jack Levine's story is a haunting example of how dogmatic conspiracy theorists can turn violently on a person who questions their assessments. Jack Levine was a regular contributor to the Virusmyth messageboards also frequented by Raphael Lombardo. When Levine fell ill, he began to question AIDS denialism and fellow board contributors turned aggressively on him. He died of AIDS in 2002, and the messageboard was removed to hide the shocking record of other members' cruelty toward him as he dealt with advanced, untreated AIDS.

13. Kelly Jon Landis

A self-proclaimed "dissident saint," Kelly Jon Landis believed that AIDS drugs themselves caused every symptom of AIDS. He was an avid cycist, health food fanatic and fan of holistic medicine. Unfortunately, he carried his assumptions about "healthy" living a bit too far, assuming that his lifestyle could protect him from the development of AIDS. Landis died of AIDS in 2007 after a long battle with advanced infection.

Unfortunately, these deaths are only a small fraction of the AIDS denialists who have died of AIDS. More can be seen at AIDStruth.org. Although these deaths were tragic, some good may have come from them. They have demonstrated the inherent fallacy in AIDS denialism and other forms of blind conspiracy theory. Because of the examples they have set, more people with HIV may seek effective treatment-- and, equally importantly, may take measures to prevent the spread of the disease.

Does Oil-Pulling WorK?

You may have heard about the trend of "oil pulling," which is currently very popular among advocates of natural medicine, home remedies, and holistic health. Oil pulling is a practice supposedly originating in India that has taken off in recent years in the U.S. In short, it involves swishing a tablespoon or two of vegetable oil around in one's mouth for about fifteen or twenty minutes. Advocates of oil pulling claim that it provides amazing benefits, from preventing cavities to curing AIDS… But does it work?

The question doesn't have a straightforward answer, because it depends on what we mean by "work." One website states, with no scientific evidence to back the its claims, that oil pulling draws toxins out of the blood stream, reduces arthritis and inflammation, fights cancer, and boosts the immune system. The author even claims that it can reduce grey hair. These effects aren't just unproven; they're completely implausible.

First, there's no rational reason to believe that oil pulling would draw "toxins" from the bloodstream. Your mouth doesn't have enough blood vessels to expose all of your blood to the oil in just fifteen minutes, and, even if t did, it wouldn't remove toxins from your bloodstream. Fat-soluble toxins are stored in your fat cells, not your blood, and there's no physical, chemical, or biological action that would cause toxins to magically jump from your blood and fat, and into a tablespoon of oil in your mouth.

The other claims are equally outlandish: there is no mechanism by which vegetable oil mouthwashes could regenerate hair follicles that have started producing grey hair, shrink tumors, or somehow reduce inflammation in joints several feet away. Claims like this require some kind of evidence, or at least a plausible hypothesis, but advocates of oil pulling don't offer this. There is no evidence that oil pulling works in that capacity.

However, oil pulling does seem to work fairly well for one thing: improving oral health. At least one study has shown that people who practice oil pulling for at least 45 days have less gum diseases and plaque than people who do not. This may be because of actions associated with oil pulling itself, or it may just be a nice side-benefit of the recommendation to brush and floss after oil pulling. Doing it at least once daily could lead to better, healthier checkups at the dentist.

Since it involves safe, edible oils like coconut and sunflower oil, there aren't any major safety concerns associated with oil pulling (although the taste could certainly make some people nauseated). As long as you're comfortable practicing oil pulling, you can feel free to continue the practice and you might look forward to some benefits for the health of your teeth. But, if you're expecting it to cure diseases or purify your blood stream, you'd be better off seeing a doctor than trying to self-treat using oil pulling.

Do Amber Teething Necklaces Work?

Amber teething necklaces, which are used to relieve pain in teething and colicky babies, have become more and more popular over the last several years. When my daughter was born six years ago, many of my friends asked if I would be using amber teething necklaces. Now that I'm expecting my son, it seems like these little trinkets are unavoidable. With so many moms and dads recommending amber teething necklaces, it seems like they must work fairly well, but the fact is that these supposedly pain-relieving crystals don't work and they might actually be dangerous.

Advocates for amber teething necklaces (consisting almost entirely of people who sell them for profit) claim that the necklaces reduce teething pain because of a compound called succinic acid, which one retailer touts can "helps fight toxic free radicals, helps improve the immune system, and reduces stress." Baltic amber, which is a fossilized tree resin and is generally the form used in teething necklaces, does contain succinic acid, but there's not much validity to claims about its medicinal effects.

There's no reason to believe that succinic acid in amber can absorb through a baby's skin, because it is a compound built into a solid crystal that is literally rock-hard and does not excrete oil or any other kind of fluid. The melting point for amber is far above the body temperature of even the most fevered baby, so expecting it to seep into the baby's skin is no wiser than putting an iron rod under his pillow and expecting it to treat anemia. Human babies magically absorb medicine or nutrients in ways that contradict physics.

Even if succinic acid in amber teething necklaces did absorb through skin, there's no evidence that it works. Succinic acid is found in many foods and plants; it's abundant in nature and nontoxic. While a little succinic acid might be theoretically harmless, there's no reason to think it works to treat teething pain. There hasn't been a single study of the use of succinic acid or Baltic amber to relieve pain, improve the immune system, or reduce stress. One very small study in 2003 suggested that large amounts of oral succinic acid might reduce anxiety in mice being exposed to dangerously high temperatures, but it's quite a leap to assume that the same findings could be applied to teething human children.

Finally, there's a lot of reason to suspect that amber teething necklaces could be dangerous. A report in Pediatrics in Review notes that amber necklaces are among many traditional treatments that have no evidence to back them and could in fact prove very dangerous. They have popped up several times in the media because of children choking and strangling while using these little charms. Although advocates of amber teething necklaces note that they are supposed to be used with supervision and should never be chewed or sucked, it's a risk that I wouldn't be willing to take for a treatment that is very unlikely to work.

For my family, amber teething necklaces are a no-go and we'll stick with safer, more effective methods for relieving teething pain. I don't want to subject my children to something that could be dangerous (not to mention expensive) unless there's a good reason to think that it will work. If you're concerned about your baby's stress or discomfort from teething, get in touch with his pediatrician for tips on relieving the pain safely and effectively.