high altitude and chocolate

Michael Knorrenschild

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Nov 19, 1996, 3:00:00 AM11/19/96

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Recently I saw a TV-report on climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. The altitude
is of course a major problem on the climb, and the report featured a local
guide who gave the tourists the advice to eat chocolate when headaches
or so appear due to the high altitude.
One of the tourists followed that advice and made it to the ridge
(but of course it is not clear if the chocolate was essential).

Has anyone ever heard of that advice, and if yes, what's the
background? Is there some kind of chocolate to be preferred over
others? (Serious question, I am asking for serious answers)

Michael

Arno F. Granados

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Nov 20, 1996, 3:00:00 AM11/20/96

to Michael Knorrenschild

Just a guess here...
Might this be an effect of the caffeine in the chocolate? I know
that Excedrin brand pain relievers combine aspirin and caffeine,
with the caffeine acting as a vaso-dialoter (sp?) it helps
relieve headaches.

Tae H Kim

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Nov 20, 1996, 3:00:00 AM11/20/96

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Arno F. Granados (gran...@possys.com) wrote:

Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor - it constricts, or narrows blood vessels.
Anecdotally, caffeine seems to help a headache. At least it does for me
when I have my first cup of coffee in the morning!

- Tae

jkm...@aol.com

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Nov 20, 1996, 3:00:00 AM11/20/96

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Maybe it's because chocolate has caffeine in it?

Steve and Christy Ross

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Nov 21, 1996, 3:00:00 AM11/21/96

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"Arno F. Granados" <gran...@possys.com> wrote:

>Michael Knorrenschild wrote:
>>
>> Recently I saw a TV-report on climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. The altitude
>> is of course a major problem on the climb, and the report featured a local
>> guide who gave the tourists the advice to eat chocolate when headaches
>> or so appear due to the high altitude.
>> One of the tourists followed that advice and made it to the ridge
>> (but of course it is not clear if the chocolate was essential).
>>
>> Has anyone ever heard of that advice, and if yes, what's the
>> background? Is there some kind of chocolate to be preferred over
>> others? (Serious question, I am asking for serious answers)
>>
>> Michael

>Just a guess here...
>Might this be an effect of the caffeine in the chocolate? I know
>that Excedrin brand pain relievers combine aspirin and caffeine,
>with the caffeine acting as a vaso-dialoter (sp?) it helps
>relieve headaches.

Caffeine actually has headache relieving effects because it is a
cerebral vasoconstrictor, not a vasodilator. It does dilate other
blood vessels.

Steve

RTH

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Nov 22, 1996, 3:00:00 AM11/22/96

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In article <56vo3k$9...@chaos.dac.neu.edu>, tk...@lynx.dac.neu.edu says...

>
>: Just a guess here...

>: Might this be an effect of the caffeine in the chocolate? I know
>: that Excedrin brand pain relievers combine aspirin and caffeine,
>: with the caffeine acting as a vaso-dialoter (sp?) it helps
>: relieve headaches.
>

>Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor - it constricts, or narrows blood vessels.
>Anecdotally, caffeine seems to help a headache. At least it does for me
>when I have my first cup of coffee in the morning!
>
>- Tae
>

There is no caffeine in chocolate. There is theophylline and theobromine which
are part of the caffeine family of compounds. All chocolate will have these,
but probably in varing concentrations. These also have similar properties. Of
worthy note is the fact that caffeine is the most useful for relieving caffeine
induced headaches; the most common withdrawl symptom from caffeine is the
headache. It is particularly useful in tourists who don't know they are
addicted to coffee (3 cups a day for three days, I can't remember where I read
that) or any other person for that matter.

Paula Gray

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Nov 24, 1996, 3:00:00 AM11/24/96

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The chocolate contains caffeine and that decreases the headache.
Paula