| There are a lot of "dark gourmet chocolate" | | | | Whole foods such as fruits contain a much smaller |
| companies entering the wellness industry over the last | | | | amount of fructose compared to sucrose and glucose, |
| year. The claim is that the product is "healthy." We've | | | | as well as a full spectrum of vitamins, minerals, |
| seen the commercials, ads and the media feature it. | | | | phytonutrients, fiber, enzymes and other nutrients. |
| So I decided to look in to this myself from a health and | | | | These are the nutritional needs of the body. |
| nutrition perspective. | | | | Concentrated sweeteners from food sources such as |
| I am personally not a chocolate eater so I've never | | | | the agave plant contain no fiber and have much |
| had any interest except that I find it intriguing from a | | | | greater concentrations of simple sugars than are |
| marketing perspective. How can a "chocolate product" | | | | found in fresh foods. |
| be marketed as healthy? | | | | Fructose also appears to interfere with copper |
| I selected one of the Direct Selling "healthy gourmet | | | | metabolism. This causes collagen and elastin being |
| chocolate" companies and reviewed its marketing | | | | unable to form. Collagen and elastin are connective |
| materials and ingredients. | | | | tissue which essentially hold the body together. A |
| Ingredients & Marketing | | | | deficiency in copper can also lead to bone fragility, |
| The main source of the product is dark chocolate, with | | | | anemia, defects of the arteries and bone, infertility, high |
| each of the packaged varieties having added nutritional | | | | cholesterol levels, heart attacks and ironically enough |
| elements including sweeteners, berry powders, | | | | an inability to control blood sugar levels. |
| vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and omegas. | | | | The Research |
| While the story of the "healthy chocolate" makes for | | | | Research suggests that fructose actually promotes |
| great marketing and lends itself to a greater interest | | | | disease more readily than glucose. This is because |
| from the poor dietary habits of people today; after | | | | glucose is metabolized by every cell in the body, and |
| further reading it appears this requires further | | | | fructose must be metabolized by the liver. |
| investigation (even more than what I will provide here). | | | | Tests on animals show that the livers of animals fed |
| Besides the antioxidant story the main selling feature in | | | | large amounts of fructose develop fatty deposits and |
| the product is the natural sweetener called agave. | | | | cirrhosis of the liver. This is similar to the livers of |
| The dark gourmet chocolate product I reviewed lists | | | | alcoholics. |
| these key selling features: | | | | Very few agave studies have been documented, and |
| | | | most involved rats. There have been no clinical studies |
| 1. It is diabetic friendly due to the sweetener from | | | | done on its safety for diabetics. |
| agave, which comes from a cactus like plant. The | | | | Fructose - Blood Glucose, Leptin |
| literature claims the agave is very safe. | | | | It is important to understand that the glucose in other |
| 2. The product itself has a low glycemic index and will | | | | sugars are converted to blood glucose, fructose is a |
| not cause increases in blood sugar, and that the | | | | relatively unregulated source of fuel that your liver |
| antioxidants found in this gourmet chocolate, helps | | | | converts to fat and cholesterol. |
| promote cardiovascular health. | | | | A significant danger here is that fructose does not |
| 3. The literature says that it may help with weight loss | | | | stimulate your insulin secretion or enhance leptin |
| as it provides natural energy and increases your sense | | | | production, which is involved in appetite regulation. |
| of well-being. | | | | Because insulin and leptin act as key signals in |
| Agave Sweetener - what is it? | | | | regulating how much food you eat, as well as your |
| The Agave syrup found in "healthy chocolate" was | | | | body weight, dietary fructose can also contribute to |
| originally used to make tequila. When Agave syrup | | | | increased food intake and weight gain. |
| ferments it turns to tequila. The enzymes activity must | | | | Weight Loss |
| be stopped so that the syrup will not turn into tequila | | | | Fructose is one type of sugar you'll definitely want to |
| for use in healthy chocolate. | | | | avoid, no matter what the source is. Therefore, |
| Agave Syrup is advertised as low glycemic and | | | | "healthy chocolate" does not have any weight loss |
| marketed safe for diabetics. According to my reading, | | | | benefits. |
| it is true that agave itself is low glycemic but we have | | | | We now understand that chocolate has no weight loss |
| to consider why. The reason is due to the unusually | | | | benefits, we also know that it provides a feeling of well |
| high concentration of fructose (90%) compared to the | | | | being through a sense of euphoria. The coca solids in |
| small amount of glucose (10%). | | | | dark chocolate contain alkaloids such as theobromine |
| Even though fructose is low on the glycemic index, | | | | and phenethylamine, which have physiological effects |
| there are numerous problems associated with the | | | | on the body. It has been linked to serotonin levels in the |
| consumption of fructose in such high concentrations, | | | | brain. |
| the same as found in other sweeteners. | | | | In Summary |
| High Amounts of Fructose | | | | My recommendation is that if you are going to eat this |
| High amounts of concentrated fructose may cause | | | | gourmet chocolate it would be better than eating |
| health problems ranging from mineral depletion, to insulin | | | | chocolate bars (albeit more expensive). I would not |
| resistance, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, | | | | suggest consuming a lot of it on a regular basis and |
| and it even causes miscarriages in pregnant women. | | | | don't expect it will offer you any real medicinal benefits. |