The idea that one chocolate bar is “healthier” than another is a “fallacy” no matter how dense it is, a top nutritionist has claimed.
In recent years, new products have appeared on the snack market with labels such as “raw,” “good for you,” and “no added sugar.”
Some can cost up to $20 a pack, including cacao (cold-pressed raw cacao beans) and “raw” chocolate, which usually means very little added sugar.
Some dark chocolate bars claim to be ‘better for you’ because they contain more flavonols – research suggests avoid heart problems.
But New York University professor emeritus and nutritionist Dr. Marion Nestle told the DailyMail that bars contain very little of this nutrient, so you need to consume “moderate” amounts to get enough. told com.
Ironically, this puts them at risk for weight gain, diabetes, and heart disease due to the inevitable excess calories.
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Some nutritionists suggest that you need to eat up to seven chocolate bars a day to get enough flavonols to experience any benefits. This suggests you should eat 750 calories worth of dark chocolate, which is about half of your recommended daily intake.
Dr Nestlé told DailyMail.com: “It’s wrong to describe chocolate as healthy, but it’s a great marketing strategy.”
“Chocolate is candy and should be enjoyed for its own sake, in moderation, of course.
“Cocoa, a plant extract, contains antioxidants that may promote health.
“However, these are in very small amounts, so you need to eat chocolate in moderation to have any effect.
She further added, “And it’s important to watch your calories!”
Suggestions that chocolate may have health benefits focus on flavonols, which have even been linked to improved brain function.
However, when cacao (the raw beans of the cacao plant) is heated and ground to make cocoa powder, many of the flavonols are broken down.
To make processed chocolate, powder is mixed with sugar, cocoa butter, and vegetable oil, which contains more calories, sugar, and fat.
Unprocessed cocoa beans have a very bitter taste, so companies have to mix the powder with other substances.
In milk chocolate bars, the majority of the bar is made up of sugar and fat.
However, many dark chocolate bars have added sugar and fat to improve taste.
For example, Hu, a brand that claims to make “better-for-you” chocolate, produces 60g bars with around 190 calories and 8g of saturated fat per half.
A Hershey bar weighing 43 grams contains 210 calories and the same amount of saturated fat (the kind that can harm blood vessels).
Also, a Snickers bar weighing 52 grams contains half as much saturated fat and about 250 calories, which is only slightly more on a gram-for-gram basis.
Other products, such as Skin Glow’s “vitamin-infused” chocolates, contain the same amount of sugar as a two-pack of Sour Patch Kid candy.
Researchers found that the foods highest in toxic metals such as lead, arsenic, and cadmium include baby food, root vegetables such as beets, rice, and dark chocolate.
Nutritionists are careful not to completely demonize chocolate, insisting that it can still form part of a healthy, balanced diet.
Dr. Carolyn Williams, an Alabama-based nutritionist, told DailyMail.com:
“So eating large amounts of chocolate every day does not improve your health and is never recommended.”
“But if it’s something you enjoy, eating a little may be beneficial.”
There are no official guidelines on how much chocolate you should eat each day.
However, the American Heart Association recommends that you consume no more than 100 calories of chocolate per day.
According to public opinion polls, approximately 268 million Americans identify as chocolate lovers, or approximately 2 in 3 people.
