do you like chocolates ? - and are you a diabetic ?!?

How fond are you of sweets & chocolates ?  -  It certainly is not a cherished  feeling, when not able to !  ~ one feels the whole World is merrily eating; there are eateries everywhere around .. .. but, but, one could not eat – because of health conditions – restricted intake, and total abstinence of sweets .. .. most weak-hearted would succumb easily and would steal some sweets and eat them clandestinely ! – that feeling ! .. .. even for those who were not very fond of sweets in their childhood and for some good branded chocolates were simply not within reach !

Chocolates are sweet and the very word  enamours children and elders.  It  is of Spanish origin and  comprises a number of raw and processed foods produced from the seed of tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Its beans after fermentation are dried, cleaned, roasted, shell removed to produce cacao nibs, which are then groun to cocoa mass – pure chocolate in rough form.  Chocolate candy, chocolate cake, chocolate pudding, anything with chocolate is delicious. Chocolates  are made of cocoa bean.... the dried and fully fermented fatty seed of Theobroma cacao, from which cocoa solids and cocoa butter are extracted. A cocoa pod (fruit) has a rough and leathery rind about 3 cm thick (this varies with the origin and variety of pod). It is filled with sweet, mucilaginous pulp (called 'baba de cacao' in South America) enclosing 30 to 50 large seeds that are fairly soft and white to a pale lavender color. While seeds are usually white, they become violet or reddish brown during the drying process.  Republic of Ghana,  in West Africa is famous for cocoa beans.  Toblerone  is a Swiss chocolate bar brand owned by Mondelēz International, Inc.,  It is well known for its distinctive prism shape (triangular prism or pentahedron).  Here we have Cadburys and more !

A diabetic eating chocolate may raise eyebrows amongst some people but within reason, chocolate needn’t be completely cut out of his  diet, some studies say.  In most cases, chocolate will cause blood sugar levels to rise and in light of this it’s best to limit chocolate consumption to small amounts, if one could not abstain eating when blood sugars are already higher than the recommended blood glucose levels. Chocolate contains a number of beneficial nutrients, some of which called flavonoids are thought to guard against heart disease. However, it should be noted that larger quantities of chocolate can be disadvantageous to health in other ways too.  When larger amount of chocolate is consumed, it will raise blood sugars which increases the risk of complications, of which cardiovascular problems is one.  The  calorific content of chocolate is relatively high and therefore overconsumption of chocolate could lead to weight gain which also raises the risk of heart problems.

Some say that ‘dark chocolates’ can be had by Diabetics.  A new CMFE Insights report, presents a holistic overview of the global Sugar Free Dark Chocolate market by analyzing the past and the current performance of this market. The report, titled Global Sugar Free Dark Chocolate Report also evaluates the key trends and other significant factors, which are influencing the market's growth, to gain a clear understanding of this market.  Sugar free chocolates are not only healthy for diabetics' patients but also helps consumers achieve the without giving up the food they love, Hence, these factors will support the growth of this market during the forecast market (Volume) for sugar-free chocolate is estimated to grow at the rate of about +6 % from 2020 to 2026.  Those manufacturers claim that Dark chocolate boasts many added health benefits when compared to the standard milk chocolate bar: It's packed with antioxidants, additional nutrients, and is rich in fiber. But, the best sugar-free dark chocolate takes those health benefits one step further by eliminating artificial sugars, making it a great choice for health-conscious chocolate lovers as well as anyone with diabetes.  The promo says that one should check for the percentage of cacao in your chocolate. True dark chocolate products contain anywhere from 70 to 100 percent cacao, and the higher that number is, the richer and more bitter the chocolate will taste. Luckily, most sugar-free dark chocolates are sweetened with stevia and other sugar alternatives that help offset the bitterness of a high percentage of cacao.

Sugar-free, No sugar added, Sugar substitutes used, lesser sugar, little sugar contained – are not synonyms .. .. here is some news on sugar chocolate.  The Swiss food giant said demand for its Milkybar Wowsomes had been "underwhelming". The bars used what Nestle described as "hollow" sugar crystals to cut the amount of sugar by almost a third. Confectionery makers have come under pressure from health authorities to cut the amount of sugar in their products. Nestle's Milkybar Wowsomes was the first product to use technology developed by the company that creates sugar with a more porous structure, which it likened to hollowing out the sugar crystals.

Some industry experts had seen the discovery as a breakthrough that would help Nestle take a leading position in a growing market for low-sugar products. At the time of the launch Stefano Agostini, Nestle's chief executive for UK and Ireland, said: "A new product like Milkybar Wowsomes introduces greater choice and allows parents to treat their children with chocolate that tastes great but has less sugar. "We are demonstrating how we can, and will, contribute to a healthier future and that we take our public health responsibilities very seriously," he added. Last year, reduced sugar versions of Mars and Snickers were launched by Mars Wrigley UK, while Mondelez ¬followed suit with low-sugar Cadbury Dairy Milk. Nestle said it is now working on new sugar reduction technology that it aims to introduce next year.

The announcement highlights a major issue facing the world's big processed food producers. While governments and many consumers have called for lower-sugar products, most people have yet to warm to less sweet alternatives. Attempts to cut obesity rates have seen processed food giant Unilever this week promise to stop marketing its products to children. The maker of Twister ice cream and Popsicle ice lollies, said it would limit the use of cartoon characters in its advertising. Not a great news for the chocolate lovers especially diabetics among them.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

13^th Feb 2020.