CHOCOLATE GUIDE

Dark chocolate has two timelines.

Chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine. They are related methylxanthines, but equal milligrams do not produce equal stimulant effects.

Why two curves?

Caffeine and theobromine clear at different rates. A comparative human study reported mean half-lives of 4.1 hours for caffeine and 7.2 hours for theobromine in six healthy male volunteers. StimTrace keeps them separate so a larger theobromine number is not mistaken for the same amount of caffeine.

The combined estimate is intentionally rough

The optional combined line converts theobromine using an A₁ adenosine-receptor affinity ratio. Receptor affinity is not the same as subjective stimulation, brain exposure, or clinical equivalence. Use the line as an exploratory comparison only.

Chocolate recipes vary

The cocoa-percentage control scales a typical 75% dark-chocolate baseline. Sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa solids, cultivar, and processing vary by product, so a package-specific value is always preferable.