Yes, but it is bad for you...

Hi! Yes Cocoa is vegan, but it is high in oxalates or oxalic acid, which cause kidney stones. As an ex-chocolate lover I rather use carob, a chocolate substitute, that is actually good for you.


Info taken from http://www.naturalhealthworld.com/news/5-1-99.html :

CHOCOLATE vs. CAROB
By: William Kyle, ND, PhD

In response to ongoing publicity attempting to present chocolate as
an equal or better choice than carob for a food item, I have been
moved to make a rebuttal.

To begin with, when an ambitious attempt is made to equate chocolate
as an equal or better than carob as a food item, immediately I know
the source attempting to do this knows little or nothing about sound
nutrition and biochemistry. Conversely, the source may know the difference,
but have an ulterior motive for subverting the minds of the people.
Whatever the reason, for the sake of the reader who is perhaps genuinely
concerned about their health and the health of their families and
friends, I will briefly share the following characteristics of chocolate
and carob.

CHOCOLATE: (cacao, cocoa) contains caffeine, theobromine, and fermented
alcohol (chocolate liquor)which are substances that are the most addictive
psycho-active legal drugs on earth. In addition, chocolate contains
palladium, a very toxic substance that is a constituent of mercury
and believed to be a contributor to alzheimer's and parkinson's diseases,
as well as chronic fatigue syndrome. NOTE: It is believed by some
experts in the field of addiction that chocoholics out number alcoholics
in the world-at-large.

CHOCOLATE: by nature is very bitter...and sweet by design...meaning
it is saturated with refined Sugar (a dead carbohydrate) to sweeten
it.

CHOCOLATE: is high in fat... this fat is not the good unsaturated
fat you normally find in the plant kingdom. Rather, it is one of
the few plant kingdom sources of saturated fat. Chocolate also perpetuates
the body's production of low denisty lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.

Most everyone knows how detrimental saturated fat and LDL cholesterol
can be to our health, so I won't elaborate on it.CHOCOLATE: is high in oxalic acid...which interferes with calcium absorption, leading to osteoporosis, kidney stones, and other urinary tract disorders.

CHOCOLATE: due to extensive processing contains no...what I coin as
"live full calories" only "dead empty calories." Keep in mind, when
you are counting calories it is not the quanity of calories that counts,
rather it is the quality of the calories that counts.

CHOCOLATE: is an antibiogen... meaning it is a precipitous allergen
that most people are hyperallergenic to, even though they may not
be acutely aware of the fact.

CHOCOLATE: does contain a few nutrients, notwithstanding, the extensive
refining process that is required to produce chocolate, these nutrients
become inorganic* and then pose a real threat to one's health.
Conversely, carob is-for the most part-just the opposite of chocolate
as a food item. It is teeming with nutrients.

CAROB: (ceratonia siliqua) unlike chocolate...contains no caffeine,
theobromine, alcohol, no addictive substances of any kind.

CAROB: unlike chocolate...is naturally sweet and pleasant to the taste,
it is a live carbohydrate, a complex carbohydrate.

CAROB: unlike chocolate...contains a very small amount of fat, this
fat is unsaturated and soluble, the good kind.

CAROB: unlike chocolate...contains no oxalic acid, therefore it poses
no short or long term threat to the urinary tract.

CAROB: unlike chocolate...undergoes very little refining, therefore
it remains-for the most part-a "live full calorie."

CAROB: unlike chocolate...is a biogen and is not considered an allergen,
therefore most people are hypoallergenic to it.

CAROB: unlike chocolate...contains many phytochemicals as well asorganic*nutrients, such as complex carbohydrates, plant protein, and
unsaturated fat, all known as macronutrients.

CAROB: unlike chocolate...is high in amino acids, particularly arginine
and ornithine (growth hormone releasers) very important for growing
children.

CAROB: unlike chocolate...contains organic* vitamins and minerals
known as micronutrients. In addition, it contains enzymes crucial
in the role of digestion.

In light of the above information, I believe it can be unequivocally
stated that carob is a food as opposed to chocolate being a dead carbohydrate.

NOTE: Look up carob in the World Book Encyclopedia.

Dr. Kyle, has done exhaustive research and clinical trials on chocolate
(cacao, cocoa) as well as carob. You the reader can be assured of
the facts herein presented. Dr. Kyle, is not owned by any special
interest group.

*Inorganic meaning something unnatural, and/or man made. *Organic
meaning something produced by nature from the plant kingdom (photosynthesis)

Copyright 1999 by Dr. William L. Kyle, ND, PhD
Tweet