What are the side effects of theobromine?
While theobromine did not significantly increase any subjective or behavioral measures in the Mumford et al. (1994) study when all subjects were combined, the compound increased alertness, headache, and irritability in some individuals, suggesting the possibility of individual differences in sensitivity.
What does theobromine mean?
Definition of theobromine : a bitter alkaloid C7H8N4O2 closely related to caffeine that occurs especially in cacao beans and has stimulant and diuretic properties.
What foods contain theobromine?
Theobromine Rich Foods
- Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened, processed with alkali (2634mg)
- Cocoa, dry powder, hi-fat or breakfast, processed with alkali (2445mg)
- Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened (2057mg)
- Cocoa, dry powder, hi-fat or breakfast, plain (1763mg)
- Baking chocolate, unsweetened, liquid (1597mg)
Is theobromine harmful to humans?
And because of the effects on the cardiovascular system, which include a drop in blood pressure and increased heart rate, too much theobromine can be fatal. For humans, theobromine is considered toxic at a dose of 1,000 milligrams of theobromine per kilogram of body weight.
Why is it called theobromine?
It is an alkaloid. The name “theobromine” comes from the word “Theobroma” as the name of the genus of the cacao tree (which itself is made up of the Greek roots theo (“God”) and brosi (“food”), meaning “food of the gods”) with the suffix “-ine” given to alkaloids and other base nitrogen-containing compounds.
How was theobromine discovered?
It gets its name from the cacao tree genus Theobroma, but it’s also found in tea leaves and kola nuts. Woskresensky discovered theobromine in cacao beans in 1841, and E. Fischer synthesized it in 1882.
Is theobromine toxic to humans?
Chocolate has a wonderfully seductive chemistry, due in part to a toxic alkaloid called theobromine. It’s not terrible for humans, but the compound can be fatal if ingested by other species.
Where is theobromine found?
cacao bean
Theobromine is the principal alkaloid of the cacao bean. It is extracted from the bean husks and used in the synthesis of caffeine. It has been used in various pharmaceutical products. Theobromine is consumed in cocoa and chocolate beverages and in various forms of chocolate-based foods.
How does theobromine affect the heart?
However, theobromine is a more potent cardiac stimulant and has been used in the past in humans as a coronary artery dilator at daily doses of 300 mg; at a high dose of 979 mg given daily for 3 weeks, theobromine decreased systolic blood pressure and increased heart rate (33).
Which is the best medical definition of theobromine?
Medical Definition of theobromine. : a bitter alkaloid C 7H 8N 4O 2 closely related to caffeine that occurs especially in cacao beans and is used as a diuretic, myocardial stimulant, and vasodilator.
How is theobromine related to caffeine and coffee?
Definition of theobromine. : a bitter alkaloid C7H8N4O2 closely related to caffeine that occurs especially in cacao beans and has stimulant and diuretic properties.
What kind of taste does theobromine have in water?
Bitter taste. pH (saturated solution in water ): 5.5-7. (NTP, 1992) Theobromine is a dimethylxanthine having the two methyl groups located at positions 3 and 7. A purine alkaloid derived from the cacao plant, it is found in chocolate, as well as in a number of other foods, and is a vasodilator, diuretic and heart stimulator.
What kind of alkaloid is theobromine sodium formate?
an alkaloid prepared from dried ripe seed of the tropical American tree Theobroma cacao, or made synthetically from xanthine; used as a diuretic, myocardial stimulant, vasodilator, and smooth muscle relaxant; available as theobromine calcium salicylate, theobromine sodium formate, theobromine sodium salicylate, and theobromine salicylate.