[Teever]

How much of the consequences of a poor life style can be mitigated by simply reducing the chronic inflammation response by the body?

I'd love it if cheap shitty food wasn't bad for me. At the end of the day a calorie is a calorie and many animals handle the stuff that shortens our life with no problem.

Look at it another way, if dogs can't eat chocolate but humans can, is the problem with chocolate or with dogs?

[BostonFern]

A calorie is certainly not just a calorie. Different foods are metabolized differently and affect the body in different ways, regardless of otherwise equal caloric values. Take fructose, glucose, and ethanol as an example.

[Teever]

How is it that you're making my point in an attempt to refute my point, without seeing that you're making my point for me?

[shiroiushi]

The problem there is with dogs, and has nothing to do with calories. Dogs (and many other animals) are simply not able to tolerate chocolate like humans can. Conversely, humans can't tolerate eating rancid meat and cat poop, but dogs can eat those things easily and not get sick. Lots of substances are poisonous to certain species, and non-poisonous to other species.

Also, the reason chocolate is unhealthy isn't because of the cacao plant, it's because of all the added sugar used to make it taste good, since raw cacao (or cocoa, which you get after cooking it) is horribly bitter.