Anyone notice chocolate effecting behavior, focus, language?

[PlainJane]

I know all the improvements people have seen with girlfriend/CF diet, but has anyone noticed the same thing with chocolate?
Since about 2 years old, over and over, we have "tested" that when my son has chocolate, his behavoir is worse, including sleep desturbances, less focus, more tantrums, poorer eye contact, we actually notice a rapid increase in his language when we completely stopped chocolate.
I tried researching it on line, and found little info, but apparently this is not completely unheard of with chocolate. A few of my sons therapists said that while its not really out there in medical literature that much, they have a had a few personal experiences with other Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) kids that had the same sensitivity to chocolate.

Anyone???

 

[keista]

Sorry, never heard of it or noticed it in any of my kids, but I do find that VERY interesting. It is proven that chocolate does affect a person's mood - usually positively, but it would make sense that it could have a 'negative' effect in ppl 'differently wired'.

 

[pepperidge]

It does have a caffeine like substance and can keep people awake.

It does wonders for my mood however....

 

[Confused]

Hi Kimmie827,
I read your other post and do not have any answers for you, my son does not have Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). But I wanted to respond to you anyway! As far as the chocolate for kids with or without Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), I have read it can affect the children ( even adults) differently, and some of these reactions can be an allergic reaction. I also wanted to let you know that Im praying for your son and your family. Good luck.
Confused

 

[InsaneCdn]

Most "food" issues are found by parents first - long before the medical community catches up - so I'm not surprised if there isn't much in the "literature" (print or on-line!).

Chocolate is a complex substance. Not sure if you've been tracking at a detailed level? For example, same reaction to pure dark chocolate as to "chocolate bars"? White chocolate vs. dark chocolate vs. milk chocolate? (VERY differnt chemical compositions...) We're talking "pure" here... most things we call "chocolate" are a long way from the real thing ... sugar, and other filler ingredients, with a little bit of chocolate, is what you'll find in a "chocolate" candy bar.

Sugar is a major behavior bomb, to start with, so sweet chocolate (and especially chocolate candy) are absolutely loaded.

Caffeine is a mixed item - if you're ADHD, its one of the "self-medication" techniques (usually coffee/cola, but chocolate helps too!). But for other disorders, caffeine is a no-no. Dark chocolate is the highest in caffeine.

Dark chocolate is also the highest in iso-flavinoids (spelling??) - supposed to be healthy, but again... milk is supposed to be healthy, and I can't handle milk protein.

At his age now, you don't necessarily want to go messing around with experiments, but as he gets older, he will want what the others have, and it sometimes helps if you can walk an older child through a controlled experiment - find out whether one of the options works, and what the reactions really are... "older" as in... at least school age, depending on maturity levels...

 

[Elret]

Ooh heavens yes! I was a difficult child as a kid until the magic day one of the doctors finally suggested eliminating caffeine. I went completely chocolate-free at the age of eight and was instantly transformed. Seriously, complete easy child from then on. I know it's not that extreme for most kids, but I definitely notice a big difference in my difficult child when she has chocolate, but she has other food sensitivities as well, especially MSG and artificial additives.

 

[HaoZi]

Dark chocolate doesn't have milk, so if you're going dairy free this is the one to pick. It's also the lowest in sugar. Look for the cacao percentage on the label, it should read 70% or higher.

 

[KTMom91]

With Miss KT, the caramel coloring in things (like brown sodas) sent her off the charts. Clear or fruit-flavored sodas didn't have the same effect.

 

[ready2run]

i found with my 6yo any kind of sweets makes him crazy. he starts getting really hyper and giggling in a weird way that seems kind of creepy, like that evil badguy laugh on tv shows. i try not to give him junk food. if he wants a treat i make him a 'milkshake'(hehehehe) out of fresh fruits and sometimes mashed veggies and yogurt. it is naturally sweet and he doesn't seem to notice when i sneak mashed carrots or squash in there and neither do the other kids.