Editing Theobromine (section)

===Humans===
Theobromine is a heart stimulator and [[diuretic]] but has no significant stimulant effect on the human central nervous system.<ref name=pubchem/> It is a [[bronchodilator]] and causes relaxation of [[vascular smooth muscle]].<ref name=pubchem/> It is available as a [[prescription drug]] in South Korea.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.health.kr/searchDrug/result_drug.asp?drug_cd=A11AKP08G4675|title=Anycough Cap 300mg|publisher=Korea Pharmaceutical Information Center|access-date=8 January 2025|archive-date=8 August 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240808134400/https://www.health.kr/searchDrug/result_drug.asp?drug_cd=A11AKP08G4675|url-status=live}}</ref> The amount of theobromine found in chocolate is small enough that chocolate can, in general, be safely consumed by humans.

Compared with caffeine, theobromine is weaker in both its inhibition of [[cyclic nucleotide]] [[phosphodiesterases]] and its [[Receptor antagonist|antagonism]] of [[adenosine receptors]].<ref name=pubchem/><ref name="therapeutics">{{cite book | veditors = Hardman J, Limbird L | title=Goodman & Gilman's the pharmacological basis of therapeutics, 10th ed. | publisher=McGraw-Hill | location=New York | year=2001 | page=745 | isbn=978-0-07-135469-1}}</ref> The potential [[phosphodiesterase inhibitor]]y effect of theobromine is seen only at amounts much higher than what people normally would consume in a typical diet including chocolate.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.drugbank.ca/drugs/DB01412|title=Theobromine|publisher=DrugBank.ca|access-date=3 November 2018|archive-date=13 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181113075732/https://www.drugbank.ca/drugs/DB01412|url-status=dead}}</ref>

====Toxicity====
At doses of 0.8–1.5 g/day (50–100 g cocoa), sweating, trembling and severe headaches were noted, with limited mood effects found at 250&nbsp;mg/day.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search2/r?dbs+hsdb%3A%40term+%40DOCNO+7332#permalink|title=3,7-Dimethylxanthine (Theobromine)|publisher=Toxnet, US National Library of Medicine|date=1 December 2017|access-date=13 November 2018|archive-date=7 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181007145619/https://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search2/r?dbs+hsdb:@term+@DOCNO+7332#permalink|url-status=live}}</ref>

Also, chocolate may be a factor for [[heartburn]] in some people because theobromine may affect the [[Lower esophageal sphincter|esophageal sphincter]] muscle in a way that permits stomach acids to enter the [[esophagus]].<ref name="Latif">{{cite journal | vauthors = Latif R | title = Chocolate/cocoa and human health: a review | journal = The Netherlands Journal of Medicine | volume = 71 | issue = 2 | pages = 63–68 | date = March 2013 | pmid = 23462053 | url = http://www.njmonline.nl/getpdf.php?id=1269 }}</ref>