When you have certain chronic conditions such as diabetes or high cholesterol, you may be reluctant to enjoy Easter and its array of chocolate treats. If you too are wondering whether you are entitled to chocolate because of your health problems, read our practical guide below. We'll explain how much you can eat of this unfairly maligned food.
Because chocolate contains sugar, people with diabetes usually think that this food is forbidden to them. But this is not true!
Today, the diet for people with diabetes is based on the concept of glycemic index, which means eating foods that don't raise blood sugar too much.
Now, dark chocolate has a rather low glycemic index, between 20 and 30. So you can totally indulge in a square or two of dark chocolate if you enjoy it on the heels of a well-balanced meal.
On the other hand, avoid white chocolate and chocolate bars that have a glycemic index between 50 and 70.
Also, don't eat your square of chocolate in isolation, outside of meals, as this would increase the glycemic load of this little sweet...
If your blood cholesterol is too high, you may think that chocolate is not allowed because it is a fatty food.
While it's true that chocolate contains fat, you should know that 40% of these fats are monounsaturated like those in olive oil!
Consumed in reasonable quantities (1 to 2 squares per day), it only provides 2 mg of cholesterol.
In addition, dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants, which makes it a rather beneficial food for cardiovascular health.
In fact, it helps lower blood pressure and even reduces bad cholesterol levels because it contains phytosterols.
Whether dark, white or milk, chocolate provides an average of 500 calories per 100 g. A 60% cocoa chocolate is about 40% fat and 40% sugar.
If you need to watch your weight because of health issues, you should of course limit this food, but not cut it out completely.
A square of chocolate, preferably dark, only provides 20 to 30 calories. So you can enjoy it without guilt, limiting yourself to two squares a day.
This pleasure food, which you can indulge in without fear, will even help you continue your diet without frustration and not crave for even more fatty or sugary foods.
If you suffer from stress and nervous fatigue, you may feel guilty about compensating for your exhaustion by eating chocolate.
Yet, you might be better off listening to your cravings because several scientific studies have demonstrated the anti-stress and anti-depression effects of chocolate.
Dark chocolate, which contains twice as much magnesium as milk chocolate (110 mg per 100 g) is also very rich in tryptophan, an amino acid with soothing effects.
For this reason, you would be wrong to deprive yourself of it when you feel fatigue creeping up on you and stress is about to overwhelm you.
However, be sure to stay reasonable if you don't want to gain weight! Indeed, dark chocolate (like all other chocolates) provides 500 calories per 100 g, unlike other sources of magnesium such as Hepar water for example.
To be noted: if your state of stress causes you to have acne attacks or digestive problems, don't be too quick to blame the chocolate! Many studies have shown that there is no correlation between acne and chocolate consumption.
You may not have known it, but cocoa contains caffeine just like your morning espresso!
So, if you suffer from sleep problems, chocolate is a potentially exciting food.
Certainly, its richness in magnesium and tryptophan makes it an ally of your nervous balance. But its caffeine content could delay your sleep or promote nighttime awakenings.
Some people are sensitive to the exciting effects of dark chocolate (70% cocoa or higher) and others are not. If this is the case for you, avoid consuming dark chocolate after 2pm.
Author Audrey on 06 January 2022
Health and Beauty : Establishment
Author Audrey on 12 June 2023
Health and Beauty : Alternative Medicine