We’ve heard much lately about the virtues of dark chocolate. For instance, it’s been touted for its ability to improve blood vessel function and lower blood pressure.
What irks me, though, amidst all the hoopla about dark chocolate is that the sugar content often tends to get ignored or discounted.
For instance, in this article about dark chocolate being on the rise in the U.K., the sugar content was pretty much summarily dismissed. Aargh!
As sugar expert Nancy Appleton told me, even three teaspoons of sugar can throw your body out of balance.
So what benefit are you really deriving when you’re eating a dark chocolate candy bar?
Here’s where it pays to be discriminating. Carefully pick your dark chocolate, because they’re not all created equal. Choose one that has very little sugar, if possible. The less, the better.
So you may be wondering: Do I eat dark chocolate? Yes, but, as I pointed out here before, I go for the unsweetened cacao beans or cacao nibs.
To be honest, raw cacao may be a challenge for some, but, as I’ve found, if you eat them along with raw almonds or cashews, the combination tastes quite intriguing. Not sweet, but flavorful and interesting.
And face it, your heart will be happier with caco beans than those sugar-filled dark chocolate concoctions.
2 thoughts on “Dark Chocolate: Yes, It’s Good For You, But What About the Not-So-Healthy Sugar?”
I have learned that just because the package say 70%, 80%, cocoa does not mean it is good for you, and that catechins and epicatechins are still there, but when you heat chocolate past 125 degrees, it starts to lose some, if not all, of its health benefits.
Scott
Hi, I am very addicted to chocolate also, and I recently came across dark chocolate sweetened naturally with pure cane low-glycemic sugar. The only fats in it are cocoa butter (which is a neutral fat, which we all know does not affect weight). It is so delicious that I was truly amazed. I have had diabetic-friendly chocolate before and it was so chalky but this chocolate really melts in your mouth. I have also been having a chocolate drink from the company also and it is very good also! I like the antioxidant properties too, because all these products also have Acai Berry in them. I have been taking it for 2 months now and I have amazing amounts of energy too. I will be happy to share with anyone who wants to know how to get ahold of it. It has phenomenal taste and quality!
Note from Connie: Thanks, Amin, for your post. I really hate to burst your bubble, but I wouldn’t get so excited over this “diabetic-friendly chocolate.” First off, what the heck is pure cane low-glycemic sugar? Sugar is sugar. Also, are you diabetic — is that why you want diabetic-friendly chocolate? Please write to me privately and tell me the name of this chocolate — I’d rather not publish it here — so that I can look up the ingredients. Anyhow, there is a way to enjoy chocolate dishes that are more healthy. I’ve posted about it before — I’ll write about it again sometime. Warmly, Connie
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