"stimulant" news and stories

It looks like you can have your chocolate molecule and wear it, too. This t-shirt has the representation of the molecular structure of theobromine, the ingredient in chocolate that acts as a mood elevator and stimulant and helps to make chocolate so popular. Unlike the chocolate molecule we looked at before, this particular form of chocolate has no calories and is a more technical and more accurate representation of a chocolate molecule than the elegantly artistic truffle version.

Theobromine, by the way, is found in cacao, so dark chocolate has more of it than milk chocolate. Although it is a stimulant, its mood-elevating effects have been shown to be mild and long-lasting, unlike the rush that is usually associated with caffeine, a stimulant with which theobromine is often confused.

So because this tee is packed with theobromine, although it lacks cacao, you might just get a mood boost from wearing it - especially if you get the occasional rush from being just a little bit geeky (Not that there's anything wrong with that!).

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Brian at Candy Addict pointed out a story that I overlooked last week. A middle school student in Pennsylvania was suspended, not for stealing a cookie, but for bringing Jolt Gum to school and sharing it with another student. Jolt Gum was described by the superintendent as "a stimulant that has no other redeeming quality." "What if the gum had been given to a student with a heart condition?" she asked. The suspension was for three days, as the school has a zero-tolerance policy on stimulants, including caffeinated sodas.

Jolt Gum has 45 mg of caffeine per serving. For comparison, consider that a Hershey's chocolate bar has 9 mg of caffeine and a 12-oz. Coke has 34 mg (Diet Coke has 45mg).

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Chocolate has been tempting the taste buds and used to boost moods for some time now, but a new study shows that it can improve test scores, too. No, chocolate does not make you smarter, it just helps you focus.

During the study, conducted by researchers at Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia, volunteers were given milk chocolate, dark chocolate, carob or nothing (control) and were then asked to complete a series of tests that looked at memory, attention span, reaction time, and problem solving skills. While flavors like peppermint have been shown to alleviate boredom, both dark and milk chocolate resulted in an increase in reaction time as well as in attention-span. Milk chocolate had a noticeably positive effect on memory. Such results are indicative that the positive effects can not only be attributed to the stimulants present in chocolate - caffeine, theobromine and phenethylamine - but might be caused by the nutritive composition of chocolate and the way it is absorbed by the body.

Related Links:

Electricity generated by chocolate?
Chocolate is good for skin
Plant-based diet includes chocolate
Caffeine makes you a "yes" man (or woman) 

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