Chocoholics rejoice. Researchers have found a possible correlation between the bacteria living in people's digestive systems and chocolate cravings. Sunil Kochhar, who is in charge of metabolism research at the Nestle Research Center in Switzerland, said that chocoholics have different colonies of bacteria in their stomachs than people who are not tempted by the sweet treat, according to an article by the Associated Press. Kochhar and his colleagues placed 11 "chocolate desiring" and 11 "chocolate-indifferent" men on a strict diet for five days, according to an article published in the Journal of Proteome Research. The results of the study show several considerable differences in the blood and urine samples of the two populations, according to the Associated Press. For example, the men who have an affinity for chocolate had lower levels of the bad cholesterol known as LDL, according to the Associated Press. Dr. Luke Lentz, a family practitioner in Destin, FL, said the idea of chocolate lowering cholesterol is unusual, but understandable. "When one of my patients comes in with high cholesterol, the first thing I tell them is to get rid of sugar in their diet, but there are flavonoids in dark chocolate that have certain health benefits," Dr. Lentz said. The study also discovered the men who were "chocolate-indifferent" had higher levels of taurine, an active ingredient in energy drinks, according to the Associated Press. Dr. Lentz said this finding is logical because cravings are the body's way of asking for certain nutrients. "When people are craving certain foods they are looking for those things they're not getting in their diet, they'll search and search until they find it," Dr. Lentz said. Although this study was limited to chocolate, Kochhar insists the findings can be generalized to all diets and populations and could possibly be used to treat certain types of obesity. Julie Demeter, a fourth-year health science major at UF, thinks the findings could be beneficial in combination with a dietary or exercise program. "It's a lifestyle choice and a lifestyle change that people would have to make," Demeter said. Dr. Lentz said if this study can help people control cravings and eat healthier foods, obesity would not be the only disease that could be treated. "Our disease processes are all related to nutrition," Dr. Lentz said.
"Back in the day, people were in better health because they weren't consuming so many chemicals and preservatives with their food." Kochhar, co-author of the study, said that the findings prove people's food choices have a lasting impact on the metabolism, according to an article in the Journal of Proteome Research. Dr. Lentz believes that this metabolism "imprinting" begins in the first days of life. "If you start eating lots of sugar it affects your metabolism one way, and if you eat a lot of a different nutrient it affects your metabolism a different way," Dr. Lentz said. "I think this process starts at birth, it starts very early." According to the Associated Press, doctors are surprised that Kochhar is the first to do research on a concept so simple. Demeter said she thinks the study is interesting, but she does not feel the results are shocking. "It doesn't surprise me because the human body is a controlled environment and whatever you put in it is going to promote growth of certain bacteria," Demeter said. Ideally by controlling the bacteria in the stomach, it is possible to change people's eating habits. Dr. Lentz agrees that there is a connection between the bacteria in people's stomachs and their cravings. "If you can control the bacteria, you can control the cravings," Dr. Lentz said. According to the article in the Associated Press, Kochhar said that by understanding the correlation between food and bacteria, it is possible to steer the relationship in a healthier direction. Kevin Cronin, a health science major and self-proclaimed chocoholic, is more than happy to accept Kochhar's findings as truth. "It makes me feel better about all the chocolate I eat." | 
