Seems okay, but I remain skeptical of some claims
This product is packaged by AmerMed. Upon emailing AmerMed, I was informed that it is sold to them by a supplier in New Jersey. I have consumed six or even twelve pills of this product twice daily. On some days it gave me a mild headache, but I guess I should expect that for consuming so much of it.<br /><br />I was skeptical about the claim of 10% theobromine, because most cocoa extracts contain only about 2% of it. I was informed by AmerMed that their supplier has provided them with a COA (certificate of authenticity) claiming results from a HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) test, stating that it contains 11% theobromine. I asked to be emailed the COA, but AmerMed denied my request saying that their supplier disallows sharing the COA. Baloney, I say, and for this I deduct one star from my rating. I then asked if an independent COA was performed by AmerMed to confirm the theobromine findings by HPLC, but AmerMed said they didn't deem it necessary. In my opinion, as a general policy, it is wise to be skeptical of claims made by suppliers, and only independent third-party tests can be relied upon to confirm nutrient and product safety (lead, mercury, etc.) levels.<br /><br />Despite consuming up to 24 pills a day amounting to over one gram of theobromine, I really did not notice any of theobromine's claimed mood enhancing effects. Could it be because this product contains much less thebromine than advertised? I don't know.<br /><br />Cocoa extracts contain caffeine, and so I also inquired with AmerMed about the quantity of caffeine contained in this extract. I was informed it contains 0.18% caffeine, which is nothing to worry about.<br /><br />Two commonly used processes exist for the extraction of cocoa from cacao beans, namely the Broma process and the Dutch process. The Dutch process is intended and known to make cocoa taste milder and remove some of its natural bitterness. Unfortunately, the Dutch process destroys the beneficial flavonols contained in cocoa. Consuming cocoa extract processed using the Dutch process is therefore largely useless from a health perspective. I inquired with AmerMed about which process is used, but despite two emails, I was not provided the answer to this question. Due to this, I deduct one more star from my rating here. Nonetheless, I tasted the powder, and it does taste somewhat bitter, and so I still have reason to believe that the process may still be the Broma process.<br /><br />Be very skeptical of consuming this product for weight loss. While there is some evidence that theobromine may reduce hunger (perhaps due to the claim that it inhibits vagus nerve activity), as per my knowledge, it is not entirely certain whether those claims are solid, nor is it certain whether this product contains the suggested amounts of that chemical. In any event, I suppose there is little risk of harm in trying it in order to see if it reduces hunger; it didn't for me.
Rating: 3 stars