COCOA - Inflammation

[FoodLover]

Hi,

we all know being on the SCD Diet is hard, but not being able to eat Cocoa makes it even harder for lots of people, the fact that there are really healthy SCD legal products , when the only ingredient that makes it illegal is coca (see link for example: https://nutsola.com/collections/shop-al ... eb51&_ss=c ).

So to my question, if you read online, everyone writes that cocoa Heals Inflammation and defiantly doesn't feed the bacteria, so why is Cocoa such a NO NO on the SCD diet?

i wish someone could explain this....


also, after 2 years being on the diet symptom free, and starting to introduce new items, is cocoa something to try as one of the first things or rather keep away?

thank you!

[KathyE]

I found this from Elaine:

https://pecanbread.com/f/tanya/chocolate.html

I miss chocolate more than anything else. I find that making SCD recipes that use cocoa butter help with chocolate cravings. I make peanut butter cups, Marilyn's chocolate cake, and cocoa butter cookies occasionally. Also, dipping dates in peanut butter is a good substitute that requires no preparation.

https://gutharmony.net/index.php/2017/0 ... late-cake/

https://thirtysomethingsupermom.com/pea ... up-recipe/

https://comfybelly.com/2020/02/cocoa-bu ... ond-flour/

[FoodLover]

Thank you.

What about the maintenance Diet, is cocoa ok ?

[esther]

If you're starting to add different foods after being 2 years on SCD symptom free, cocoa should typically be fine.

[Chaya521]

To me the link from Nustola looks like it might be okay.

Esther, can you look into it?
it's Cacao.

[FoodLover]

i wish!

Esther, please let us know please.

[FoodLover]

@Chaya521,

look what i found that explains it all, and NOPE these are not SCD legal unfortunately …

http://www.elizabethmjacob.com/2017/09/ ... SCD%20diet.

[esther]

i wish!

Esther, please let us know please.

Elaine also wrote separately that Dr Haas didn't allow it because it was an irritant to the 'gut'. Here is some further info that may explain why it could be a gut irritant:
Yes, I understand. It's a topic brought up often.
It's my understanding in the literature that I read that cocoa powder interacts with the gut bacteria. When one doesn't have the balance or that the balance is compromised and most often because of the disease.. cocoa powder May activate the disease or may not. For me, taking the chance is not worth it. However, you can find any clinical literature that will support it but I don't know if you'll find it for Crohn's disease.
"Cocoa is a prebiotic in its own right - it contains fiber that bacteria feed on and metabolize into short chain fatty acids in the gut - a beneficial end product."
http://www.umassmed.edu/.../chocolate-- ... o-indulge/


and from
Chocolate, gut microbiota, and human health:

"... Ingredients in diets that are derived from prebiotics and consumed as probiotics or synbiotics play a role in changing the human gut microbiota (Steer et al., 2000). Chocolate or cocoa is considered a prebiotic that is rich, among other chemicals, in polyphenols (Redovniković et al...."

So, despite the incorrect information about cocoa and cocaine the main reason it is not approved for SCD is because it appeared to cause irritation to the gut.