Q. Unsweetened cocoa powder and 85% dark chocolate have helped tremendously with my digestive system. When my gallbladder was removed, I suffered from serious diarrhea. Cocoa and dark chocolate definitely help. I think there are studies to support this.

A. You surprised us with the suggestion that cocoa flavonoids might be helpful for diarrhea. We found one study in the Journal of Nutrition (October 2005) outlining a potential mechanism for this effect. We could find no clinical trials supporting this benefit, though.

You specify dark chocolate, which makes sense since milk chocolate could cause trouble for lactose-intolerant people. In addition, people need to be careful to avoid chocolate sweetened with sugar substitutes, as they actually can cause diarrhea.

Cocoa flavanols found in dark chocolate, cocoa or supplements have been well-studied with respect to cardiovascular health, though. The COSMOS trial demonstrated that volunteers taking a cocoa extract were 10% less likely to experience heart attack, stroke, angina or cardiovascular hospitalization (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, June 7, 2022). The latest research shows that when people are under stress and consume high-fat foods like cheese or butter croissants, cocoa flavanols blunt damage to their blood vessels (Food & Function, Nov. 18, 2024).

To learn more about additional approaches to controlling diarrhea, you may be interested in our eGuide to Overcoming Digestive Disorders. This online resource can be found under the Health eGuides tab at www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. It describes a variety of remedies including coconut macaroon cookies as well as berberine.

Q. Is there a significant difference between pills that contain synthetic lycopene vs. lycopene from tomato extract?

A. There is evidence that men who consume more tomatoes and therefore more lycopene are less likely to develop prostate cancer (Journal of Nutrition, Oct. 10, 2024). Tomatoes actually contain a suite of related carotenoids. One of them, phytoene, is more bioavailable to prostate tissue than lycopene is. This suggests that eating tomatoes, especially in conjunction with oil to enhance carotenoid absorption, is likely to be more effective than taking pills.

Q. I have been taking saffron (along with some individual vitamins following AREDS) for about a year. My vision has improved by a whole line on the eye chart.

My retinal health is stable, according to my eye doctor. An additional benefit of the saffron is that it has improved my sleep quality and my ability to fall back to sleep (which has been a longstanding problem). For me saffron has been a definite win-win!

A. AREDS is a scientifically supported nutritional formula for slowing the progression of age-related macular degeneration (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Sept. 13, 2023). Crocus sativus (saffron) has also shown promise in slowing the progression of this serious eye disorder (Medical Hypothesis Discovery and Innovation in Ophthalmology, Oct. 14, 2024).

You are not the first reader to report that saffron can be helpful for AMD (age-related macular degeneration). Of course, anyone with this condition should be monitored regularly by an ophthalmologist.

There is not a lot of strong research on saffron for insomnia. We did find one review that suggested this plant product “may benefit people with insomnia” (International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Sept. 16, 2022).

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In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of King Features, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803, or email them via their website: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. Their newest book is “Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them.”

(c) 2024 King Features Syndicate, Inc.