When chocolate comes up on your report, are you asking, can chocolate contain mold? Is that why it is an energetic sensitivity?
Many articles or factual information focus on the white bloom that forms on chocolate from temperature changes. That bloom does not mean that your chocolate is moldy.
Temperature changes cause the cocoa butter to melt and separate from the other ingredients. Excess moisture may cause crystallization, making the chocolate look white or speckled.
Mold on chocolate is often debated in the environmental toxin community and in our consultations.
If chocolate contains mold, how does it get in there? Chocolate contains fungus due to fermentation needed in the processing.
While chocolate has health benefits, surprisingly, it may also contain fungus and mold. If you think you have eaten moldy chocolate and are suffering from mold toxicity, should chocolate be off your list of foods? What about the many benefits of chocolate, including the magnesium it may carry and its antioxidants?
And we cannot deny the emotional part of chocolate, especially in February! Giving chocolate is special and romantic. Children and adults alike love to receive it.
Having a bit of chocolate IS delicious and satisfying.
If you suffer from mold toxicity or illness, you may be worried about consuming your favorite snack. We thought it was time to explore the benefits and disadvantages of February’s signature candy.
If you are a practitioner and want to know how moldy chocolate affects your client’s overall health, our Certification Course will help you decipher if mold is an issue!
In this post, we will touch on the following:
- The nutritional benefits of chocolate
- Why does chocolate contain mold?
- What kinds of molds are on chocolate?
- Are there dangers to eating chocolate that contain mold?
- Should you avoid eating chocolate?
Nutritional Benefits of Chocolate
Whether or not chocolate can contain mold, it still might be a better choice for your teeth and body than other sweet foods like candy. Why?
Chocolate that is not moldy is rich in minerals and vitamins, including magnesium, iron, and copper, which are important for keeping our bodies healthy. These minerals may emerge as imbalanced on a Full Scan, Balancing Scan, or Awareness Scan.
Including a variety of foods in your diet, supporting your digestive system for absorption, and focusing on cellular support are a few ways to get these minerals into your body.
Yes, that might also include some dark chocolate.
More Tooth Friendly
Chocolate without moldy characteristics is not sticky, like dried fruit or sticky candy. Additionally, the risk of developing cavities is lower with foods like chocolate or ice cream.
The amount of sugar in chocolate varies, and you can choose darker chocolate, with enhanced flavor like chili pepper or sea salt, over milk chocolate, which contains more sugar.
B Vitamins
Chocolate without mold also contains some essential B Vitamins that are great for your brain health and energy levels. B Vitamins might be lower in vegans and people going through a lot of physical or emotional stress.
Can you substitute chocolate for your Vitamin B Liposomal Supplement? Sadly, no. It takes one cup of dark chocolate to get 20% of your daily Vitamin B intake.
Antioxidants
Another group of vital nutrients is antioxidants, which are also abundant in dark chocolate that is not moldy.
Antioxidants are a broad category of nutrients that aid your body’s detox processes, among other things. You would see these listed as Vitamin P or Beta Carotene on your report.
While chocolate can get moldy, its antioxidants can help combat the oxidative process our bodies naturally go through, or that increases with certain health conditions and even sleep apnea.
Phenylethylamine
Dark chocolate without mold on it also contains phenylethylamine or PEA. One study showed this compound may increase attention and help lift mood (2).
While this study on chocolate devoid of moldy traces is small and not intended as a mood disorder treatment, we included it for interest. Additionally, regular exercise can also boost levels of PEA.
L-phenylalanine (precursor from which PEA is derived) is converted into tyrosine, an amino acid. Tyrosine makes dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain. Stress can deplete dopamine levels, affecting overall mood and well-being.
Flavonoids and Caffeine
Have you heard of flavonols? Flavonols belong to a class of plant compounds called flavonoids. Flavonoids are in plants, and there are over 4,000 different types. These molecules may be antioxidant, antimicrobial, liver protective, encourage circulation, and fight inflammation.
Then, there is caffeine. There is caffeine in non-moldy chocolate, about 12 mg per ounce of dark chocolate, and less in milk chocolate. For some of us, the caffeine in chocolate and coffee helps us focus.
The Downside of Chocolate
Some of you may have chocolate and caffeine, or even mold on chocolate, come up on your report. This result brings up a few downsides to chocolate.
Jitters and Caffeine Sensitivity
Besides the fact that chocolate can get moldy, its caffeine (which could help you focus) can also make you jittery if you have too much.
Many people are sensitive to caffeine and need to avoid it later in the day or altogether. Caffeine sensitivity can be for many reasons, including stress in the liver.
Your liver is responsible for processing caffeine through the family of cytochrome P450 family of enzymes, much like how moldy chocolate can affect your palate. There are genetic and non-genetic factors to clearing caffeine from your system.
Not everyone clears caffeine the same way. If you smoke, you clear caffeine quickly. When you quit, you may find yourself more sensitive to caffeine.
Unhealthy Ingredients
Chocolate can be high in sugar, waxes, and certain kinds of fat that are not beneficial.
Some beneficial fats and some that increase the risk of heart disease exist, which is why the quality of the chocolate can affect its nutrient value.
Skin Issues and Headaches
Moldy chocolate has been indirectly linked to skin issues (or the integumentary system) like acne. This link may be because of blood sugar and possible hormone imbalances.
Some migraine sufferers find that mold on chocolate is a trigger to those headaches as well.
With ANY suspected sensitivity, track the time of consumption of the food in question and write down how your body feels and reacts to it to see any patterns that may show up in the foods you consume.
You may see some emotional patterns as well!
How Does Mold Get Into Chocolate?
Chocolate comes from cocoa beans harvested from the pods of the cacao tree. Chocolate production involves opening the cacao pod. In the pod are beans. Some people think that poor hygiene in processing creates moldy chocolate, but it is the processing that may encourage mold or fungus.
The beans are piled in mounds or boxes. A natural fermentation occurs, which can create moldy chocolate if it continues too long).
The flavor of the chocolate develops right from the beginning, and this process involves the fermentation of yeast and bacteria. The product is left to dry in the sun to reduce moisture.
From here, beans are roasted, and cocoa solids and butter are produced. The solids are ground into a paste called chocolate liquor. This liquor is mixed with milk, sugar, vanilla, and lecithin to form the chocolate we know.
Moldy chocolate contains a living organism. If you are a holistic health practitioner and work with any detoxification protocol, learning about mold is imperative.
Mold can thrive on chocolate in warm, damp conditions. Mold spores are microscopic particles in soil, decaying plants, and even human and animal hair. It makes sense that molds and fungi accumulate in food products as well!
There are SO many different molds and fungi in the world. Some are more pathogenic than others.
What Kinds of Moldy Chocolate Are There?
The two most common kinds of molds that can grow in chocolate are:
- Aspergillus: Aspergillus exists in all kinds of grains, fruits, and nuts. It also exists in home furnishings and even in wallpapers.
- Penicillium: Penicillium is a common mold found in all types of food, including peanuts and cheese.
These molds are often found in products like peanuts and peanut butter, dried beans and peas, grains, coffee, spices, milk, cheese, and even beer. The presence of molds in these foods doesn’t always cause health problems.
However, everyone is different, and their immune system acts differently to moldy chocolate. It depends on genetics and the branches of the immune system that may be off balance.
If you suspect you have an internal fungal overgrowth, like candida, due to eating mold on chocolate, limiting the foods above is often supportive while clearing candida.
What Are the Dangers of Eating Chocolate With Mold?
People sensitive to mold and mycotoxins have noted feeling sick and having digestive issues after eating foods with mold. Symptoms of toxicity with moldy chocolate include:
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Joint pain
- Headaches
- Weird dreams
Should I Eat Chocolate?
We never want to eat foods with any VISIBLE mold on them. We can’t always see mold on chocolate, or any food, for that matter. Chocolate is a delicious treat that many people enjoy and feel good about consuming.
However, you should be aware that chocolate also has a risk of mold contamination.
It’s funny to think about, but we all may consume fungus and mold on chocolate without knowing it. The reactions depend on the immune system, genetics, digestion, detoxification processes of the body, and previous exposures to moldy chocolate.
Ensuring your digestive system is in good working order is one way to battle any chocolate molds you may ingest.
Why? Because having a working digestive terrain with a large beneficial microbial community won’t let mold and fungus take hold. A sufficient flow of hydrochloric acid in the stomach kills invaders like mold, bacteria, and parasites.
If you think you are mold sensitive, avoid moldy chocolate while you clear this invader and fortify your body systems. Look at it as just a break, not a breakup!
If you want to learn more about your food sensitivities and resonating toxins, CBH Energetics can help. Our Sensitivity Scan can hone in on resonating food and environmental sensitivities that can contribute to Digestive Stress or amplify mold toxicity.
Sources
- https://inspection.canada.ca/inspect-and-protect/food-safety/what-are-those-white-spots-on-your-chocolate-/eng/1617285194201/1617285194514
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9081552/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/flavonol
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S016816051400110X
DISCLAIMER: This post is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, condition, complaint, illness, or medical condition and is not a substitute for professional services or medical advice. Seek the advice of a physician or other qualified healthcare professional with any questions you may have. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking treatment. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or any other government agencies or regulatory authorities.
