Diabetic Friendly Chocolate Sweetened With Xylitol

Americans love chocolate. In fact, millions of us are admitted "chocoholics." U.S. chocolate consumption is around 3.3 billion pounds per year, according to the National Confectioners Association. That's nearly 12 pounds for every man, woman and child in the nation.

But for more than 21 million Americans with diabetes, forbidden treats - such as luscious dark chocolate truffles - are not part of a healthy diet. Many of us believe that sinfully sweet indulgences must be unhealthy, especially for diabetics. Or are they?

The good news is that recent clinical studies show some types of chocolates actually have significant health benefits. Dark chocolates, particularly those made with minimal processing, are high in flavonoids, which are plant compounds with potent antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are known to gobble up free radicals - the killer compounds that harm cell membranes, damage the heart, attack DNA, cause aging, and make heart attacks and cancer far more likely.

It may surprise you to know that dark chocolate actually has more antioxidants per gram than red wine, green tea, peanuts, cranberries, apples, and many other fruits and vegetables that also are rich in antioxidants.

One independent study led by Claudio Ferri and researchers at the University of L'Aquila in Italy found that consuming dark chocolate not only lowers blood pressure and cholesterol as some prior studies suggest, but also improves the body's processing of sugar - and in theory, guards against diabetes. Jeffrey B. Blumberg of Tufts University, who collaborated on the study, says "the new finding suggests that specific flavonoids have beneficial effects on several measures of health."

Dark chocolate contains more flavonoids and less saturated fat than milk chocolate. Cocoa powder and baking chocolate contain even more flavonoids than dark chocolate, while white chocolate has none. The flavonoids in chocolate, by the way, are called flavanols.

Ferri and his colleagues included dark chocolate bars in the diets of 10 volunteers with high blood pressure, and gave 10 others white chocolate bars with no flavanols. The subjects weren't obese, and none gained a significant amount of weight during the five-week study. The volunteers who consumed dark chocolate bars reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, while those given white chocolate experienced no change.

In addition, the dark chocolate group demonstrated accelerated metabolism of blood sugar (glucose), a process that involves the hormone insulin. Impaired insulin function can lead to diabetes. Dark chocolate also lowered cholesterol in hypertensive patients, the researchers reported.

Additional benefits associated with dark chocolate in other studies include improved flexibility of the arteries, which can contribute to lower blood pressure, and reduced stickiness of clot-forming blood platelets, which may reduce the risk of strokes and other problems.

Another study, at the University Hospital of Cologne, Germany, tested the effects of dark chocolate vs. white chocolate on artery hardening and heart disease in smokers. The study's authors concluded that "...only a small daily treat of dark chocolate may substantially increase the amount of antioxidant intake and beneficially affect vascular health."

Another study done at the University Hospital of Cologne and published in the July 2007 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) concluded that consumption of small amounts of dark chocolate was "associated with a lowering of blood pressure, without weight gain or other adverse effects."

"Chocolate is a very remarkable substance with enormously beneficial health properties," says Keith Scott-Mumby, MD, PhD, an internationally recognized expert in diet and nutrition who formulated The Doctor's Chocolate. His delicious dark chocolate truffles, made with the finest unaltered Swiss dark chocolate and red raspberries, contain zero trans fats and very low total fat. Sweetened by Xylitol, a sugar alcohol that is recognized by the FDA as very safe, each truffle has only 20 calories. "It's totally safe for diabetics," Dr. Scott-Mumby says.

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Chocolate & Nutrients

In some quarters, chocolate is believed to be the 'forbidden fruit.' The reason for this is probably because it is widely known that chocolate often contains substantial amounts of sugar and fat, and the price paid for an over indulgence of sugars and fats is usually weight gain and all its associated issues. But, that said, have you ever heard the saying that goes something like, 'If the wheel falls of the cart, don't shoot the horse.' The fact is, an excess of most things in life, can lead to some form of negative effect. Therefore, I believe the rule should be, 'do and have the things you enjoy in life, but always strive to maintain a responsible balance.' The truth is chocolate does contain a myriad of nutrients and associated health benefits, not to mention the neural stimulation and resultant feelings of well being that its consumers may feel. Chocolate (in particularly dark chocolate) has a high concentration of antioxidants in the form of flavonoids. Flavonoids exist naturally in cacao, fruit and vegetables, and also in red wine; they are considered to be beneficial to the cardiovascular system. Antioxidants are believed to assist in the protection of cells and the retarding of the ageing process.

Although sixty percent of the fatty acids in cocoa are saturated (35% Stearic and 25% Palmlitic), evidence suggests that they behave differently and therefore, do not raise harmful cholesterol levels (fatty deposits in the blood which can lead to heart disease and other complications).

The emotional and physical lift, sometimes experienced when eating chocolate is grounded in some scientific knowledge. Cocoa and chocolate contain serotonin. Serotonin is a chemical in the brain, the absence of which, appears to have a definite correlation with depression. Also present, is another anti-depressant phenylethylamine, which is similar to the body's naturally occurring adrenaline and dopamine. Another stimulant component is caffeine (although in a relatively smaller quantity than would be found in coffee or caffeine based energy supplements).

Chocolate also contains a number of vitamins and minerals. Dark chocolate can contain noticeable quantities of the following:

Vitamin B1: Assists the nervous system, muscles, heart and nerve repair.

Vitamin B2: Assists growth, hair, nails and the synthesis of proteins and carbohydrates.

Vitamin B3: Helps the blood circulatory system and aspects of the digestive process.

Vitamin B5: Significant to the immune system and cell regeneration.

Magnesium: Helps in the conversion of food to energy, the strengthening of teeth and bones and body temperature regulation.

Iron: Assists the production of red blood cells it is also significant to the maintenance of white blood cells and the immune system.

Phosphorus: Helps in the cultivation of energy and is relevant to a range of important enzymes.

Zinc: Instrumental in the assimilation of proteins and carbohydrates and is important to the immune system.

Manganese: Promotes healthy bones, nerves, muscles, and the control of growth.

Milk Chocolate can also contain the following: Vitamin A. Important to the maintenance of eyesight and growth.

Vitamin D: For the cultivation of healthy bones and teeth.

Vitamin E: Valuable in the fight against toxins, and a noted antioxidant.

Calcium: Needed for the development and maintenance of strong bones and teeth, muscular activity and blood clotting.

Phosphorus. (As above).

Now, despite these elements being of definite value to the body for all the factors previously stated; one wouldn't expect a bowl of chocolates to be healthier than a bowl of vegetables. Nevertheless, if we continue to enjoy our most popular treat while exercising some measure of responsibility, then I see no good reason for feeling guilty or indulgent. Good quality of life is paramount, and for me that will most certainly involve good chocolate, and the higher the standard of chocolate, the greater the pleasure. Hey! I'm feeling better already...

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