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Can you eat dark chocolate and drink coffee without any problems?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 12/20/2021 6:33 AM (GMT -8)
I can’t drink coffee, even a few sips give me abdominal pain, diarrhea etc.; but I can eat a little (10 grams?) dark chocolate (above 85% cocoa, the ones that don’t contain any dairy) every day. If I try to increase this amount, I get intestinal symptoms.

I am curious if other Crohn’s patients who can’t have coffee can eat more (like 50 grams a day) dark chocolate than I can without any gut-issues, every day?

Do you think the main reason why coffee causes severe intestinal problems is because of caffeine? Has anyone tried decaf coffee and seen different results with that? If it was due to caffeine only, I would think I wouldn’t be able to eat dark chocolate either; I am having a hard time understanding this.

Post Edited (xy123) : 12/20/2021 11:23:27 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 12/20/2021 7:03 AM (GMT -8)
I can drink coffee but I'll often need to poop shortly afterwards....
I have no problems with dark chocolate...maybe because it's not a liquid? And has anti inflammatory properties.
Chocolates with lots of sugar give me an acne problem however.
Posted 12/20/2021 7:11 AM (GMT -8)
I have no problem with caffeine. I really don't eat much dark chocolate unless it's got something yummier in it. Both can quicken the digestive tract, probably cause some discomfort later in the day. If I consume foods in excess of fat/oils (aka rich)...I can get quite nauseated. But it would be expected. Any offender would be pretty much out the next day....so to say.

q
Posted 12/20/2021 7:50 AM (GMT -8)
During a flare, I cannot drink coffee AT ALL. Which is a crying shame, I love my meager two small cups per day. During remission? No problem at all. Dark chocolate seems fine at all times, but can't overdo it.
Posted 12/20/2021 8:33 AM (GMT -8)
I can drink coffee and have chocolate without any issues
Posted 12/20/2021 10:39 AM (GMT -8)
Nope, I need to avoid coffee ... too stimulating to my gut. I have always adored dark chocolate-- love at 1st taste when I was about age 3. What could be more delicious? It's also stimulating to my gut so I never eat it on an empty stomach, but after a full meal, especially one including plain boiled rice or simple roasted or boiled potato, I can tolerate a chocolate dessert that's not overly sweet or cream-cheesy. I need to consume chocolate in moderation, which is hard for me to practice, I admit. FYI, we did a fun thread here on hot chocolate/cocoa consumption a while back-- in case you'd like to look it up. / Old Hat (40+ yrs with left-sided UC; in remission taking Colazal)
Posted 12/20/2021 12:25 PM (GMT -8)
In a flair, no coffee, otherwise a cup or two each morning.

There is NOTHING, short of dying, that will make me give up dark chocolate!
Posted 12/20/2021 1:23 PM (GMT -8)
Before UC, too much chocolate could give me cramps and D. So, I kind of lost my appetite for chocolate before UC.

Coffee doesn’t bother me. (It can give me somewhat of an upset stomach a few hours after I drink it. Not enough to keep me drinking it though. I believe this is a fairly common side effect of coffee even with people who have healthy guts)
—-
On Humira

Post Edited (island time) : 12/20/2021 2:26:12 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 12/20/2021 6:01 PM (GMT -8)
I'm fine with coffee, but I am more of a tea drinker. That being said, I cannot stomach drip coffee at all, I only drink espresso based drinks with a non-dairy milk.
Sometimes chocolate gives me heartburn but I love it! No issues with UC and chocolate.
Posted 12/20/2021 8:52 PM (GMT -8)
i've never had coffee so not a clue -

but i do know dark chocolate very well, and it does make me go - and sometimes that's a good thing smile

TT
Posted 12/21/2021 1:40 AM (GMT -8)
Hate coffee and never take it
Love dark chocolate and eats lots of it with no issues.

Maybe try Cocao powder for your chocolate fix and see if it helps?

Dark chocolate is supposed to be very anti oxidant rich.

Post Edited (Seeker275) : 12/21/2021 2:43:53 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 12/21/2021 5:03 AM (GMT -8)
Right now I can, but while I was flaring I definitely could not.
Posted 12/22/2021 8:55 AM (GMT -8)

Serenity Now said...
During a flare, I cannot drink coffee AT ALL. Which is a crying shame, I love my meager two small cups per day. During remission? No problem at all. Dark chocolate seems fine at all times, but can't overdo it.

How much chocolate do you consider as overdoing it? What happens when you overdo it?
Posted 12/22/2021 9:06 AM (GMT -8)

Old Hat said...
Nope, I need to avoid coffee ... too stimulating to my gut. I have always adored dark chocolate-- love at 1st taste when I was about age 3. What could be more delicious? It's also stimulating to my gut so I never eat it on an empty stomach, but after a full meal, especially one including plain boiled rice or simple roasted or boiled potato, I can tolerate a chocolate dessert that's not overly sweet or cream-cheesy. I need to consume chocolate in moderation, which is hard for me to practice, I admit. FYI, we did a fun thread here on hot chocolate/cocoa consumption a while back-- in case you'd like to look it up. / Old Hat (40+ yrs with left-sided UC; in remission taking Colazal)

I will look it up. I think eating the chocolate after a meal is a good idea. The issues I have experienced with increased chocolate consumption may be due to eating it on an empty stomach. Plus, eating it on an empty stomach probably causes one overeat it. Could you write what you experience if you eat more than a moderate amount of chocolate, especially on a regular basis?
Posted 12/22/2021 11:19 AM (GMT -8)

xy123 said...

Serenity Now said...
During a flare, I cannot drink coffee AT ALL. Which is a crying shame, I love my meager two small cups per day. During remission? No problem at all. Dark chocolate seems fine at all times, but can't overdo it.

"How much chocolate do you consider as overdoing it? What happens when you overdo it?"

I consider overdoing it to be eating say two large bars at one time, or a whole box... More than any normal person would eat at one time. Trust me, I could win an Olympic event in overdoing it, LOL. What happens when I do? Just feel gross, sluggish, sick, etc. Not like I bring on a flare, but my stomach won't feel good at all.
Posted 12/22/2021 12:33 PM (GMT -8)
What happens if I over-do it? My left-side colon starts to feel irritated. So I don't play around with dark chocolate and totally avoid mass-produced chocolate of any kind that contains lots of sugar. One exception: 2 or 3 times a year I will indulge in a (U.S.) Forever Yours candy bar. It's about 2-3 oz. size: dark chocolate coating over a caramel layer plus vanilla nougat. I drink non-fat lactose-free milk with it. (A very yummy combo for my taste buds!) I only do that when I've eaten cautiously that day, avoiding other possible known-irritants like veggie or fruit roughage. From decades of experience I've learned that minimizing food and beverage irritants helps my UC med to work better. Any item that starts bothering my colon (such as potato chips, carbonated drinks, or junky fast food & snacks) I totally avoid. It takes strong will power at first, but then that becomes easier to practice in the longer time span. My longtime gastroenterologist sub-specializes in IBD treatment, employs a dietitian full-time and frowns on overconsumption of known-irritants, which also helps my resolve. My feeling is that diabetics have to manage their food intake to survive in reasonable condition, and so do most of us IBDers. / Old Hat (40+ yrs with left-sided UC; in remission taking Colazal)
Posted 12/23/2021 10:06 AM (GMT -8)
@Serenity Now

One of the reasons I am interested in chocolate is because of how calorie-dense it is, so it is a good addition for anyone wanting to gain weight. 100 grams of chocolate has more than 500 kcal, and it is very easy to eat a hundred grams of chocolate, not to mention how enjoyable it is to eat it.
Posted 12/23/2021 10:24 AM (GMT -8)
xy123, I think the only way to determine what is "overdoing it" for you is trial and error. Eat a bit, if you feel okay, you know that amount is okay. Try eating a bit more next time. If you feel any discomfort, then you know that is overdoing it for you. What is too much for me might be a-ok for you.
Posted 12/23/2021 10:29 AM (GMT -8)

Old Hat said...
What happens if I over-do it? My left-side colon starts to feel irritated. So I don't play around with dark chocolate and totally avoid mass-produced chocolate of any kind that contains lots of sugar. One exception: 2 or 3 times a year I will indulge in a (U.S.) Forever Yours candy bar. It's about 2-3 oz. size: dark chocolate coating over a caramel layer plus vanilla nougat. I drink non-fat lactose-free milk with it. (A very yummy combo for my taste buds!) I only do that when I've eaten cautiously that day, avoiding other possible known-irritants like veggie or fruit roughage. From decades of experience I've learned that minimizing food and beverage irritants helps my UC med to work better. Any item that starts bothering my colon (such as potato chips, carbonated drinks, or junky fast food & snacks) I totally avoid. It takes strong will power at first, but then that becomes easier to practice in the longer time span. My longtime gastroenterologist sub-specializes in IBD treatment, employs a dietitian full-time and frowns on overconsumption of known-irritants, which also helps my resolve. My feeling is that diabetics have to manage their food intake to survive in reasonable condition, and so do most of us IBDers. / Old Hat (40+ yrs with left-sided UC; in remission taking Colazal)

I agree with you. Diet is extremely important for the prevention of flare-ups.
Posted 12/23/2021 10:33 AM (GMT -8)

Serenity Now said...
xy123, I think the only way to determine what is "overdoing it" for you is trial and error. Eat a bit, if you feel okay, you know that amount is okay. Try eating a bit more next time. If you feel any discomfort, then you know that is overdoing it for you. What is too much for me might be a-ok for you.

That’s been what I have been doing for the last few days with chocolate. Thanks.
Posted 12/23/2021 11:09 AM (GMT -8)
I can't think of a more enjoyable experiment to conduct! Maybe I need to experiment myself... find the exact line over which I cannot cross... smile
Posted 12/23/2021 4:01 PM (GMT -8)
too much of that dark stuff and i have to get the heavy duty bowl brush out ;-)

Merry Christmas to all of you !

TT
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