Dark chocolate offers many positive health benefits that can be great for seniors and their overall health. For chocolate to be considered healthy, it must contain 60% cacao at the very least. Some experts recommend choosing dark chocolate made with 70-85% cacao to experience optimal health benefits.
Eating dark chocolate regularly can help aging adults increase their brain function due to the theobromine and caffeine it contains. The same flavonoids that prevent heart conditions also boost memory, attention span, and reaction time.
Research has shown dark chocolate has high levels of flavanols, which can increase blood flow to the brain and preserve cognitive ability. It can also benefit seniors who have already been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
Dark chocolate is by far the healthiest form of the treat, containing the least sugar and, because of its cocoa content, higher levels of substances that protect the body's cells.
There are plenty of healthy gift alternatives to candy and chocolate for the holidays that have less sugar. A good-quality tea, coffee, or wine are all items to be savored rather than devoured. If you still want something sweet, dark chocolate is a healthier choice than milk chocolate.
If dark chocolate tastes too bitter for you, dark milk chocolate is a pretty sweet compromise—it has less sugar and more cocoa than traditional milk chocolate, which may have as little as 10%.
Look for products containing at least 70% cocoa. The higher the percentage, the more bitter (and less sweet) it will taste, but the healthier it is. Cocoa beans should always be listed first in the ingredient list. Avoid chocolate containing vegetable oil, butter oil, artificial sweeteners or milk substitutes.
White chocolate is the worst – it has more calories than milk chocolate and more sugar than dark.
Older adults' unique nutrition needs
Choose foods with little to no added sugar, saturated fats, and sodium. To get enough protein throughout the day and maintain muscle, try adding seafood, dairy, or fortified soy products along with beans, peas, and lentils to your meals.
Dark chocolate is rich in disease-fighting antioxidants. Studies show it can help reduce blood pressure and lower the risk of heart disease. Studies show that dark chocolate — when it is not loaded with sugar and saturated fat — is indeed a heart-healthy chocolate treat and more.
Dairy's also a great source of vitamin D -- it's essential for healthy bones. Many people don't get enough of it, and with age, it gets harder for your body to make vitamin D just by being out in the sunshine. Stick to low-fat or nonfat milk, yogurt, and cheese.
In summary, this research shows that 70% cocoa dark chocolate consumption can benefit verbal episodic memory two hours post consumption in healthy young adults relative to a white chocolate control.
It is also worth noticing that 100% dark chocolate is the healthiest option among all the sugar-free chocolates on the market. To make their products palatable without sugar, many big chocolate manufacturers use alternatives with lower calories but higher sweetening power.
Experts recommend minimally processed dark chocolate with at least 70 percent cacao content, and maybe have an ounce as an occasional treat. You should always check the label to be aware of the calorie, fat and sugar content, which could potentially affect the overall health benefit.
Lindt Milk Chocolate With 30% Less Sugar is the latest creation of our Lindt Maîtres Chocolatiers. Perfect guilt-free indulgence!
Instead of 'diabetic' chocolate, try choosing good-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa is best). It has a stronger taste than milk chocolate, so you are likely to eat a bit less.
Specifically, white chocolate does not contain cocoa solids—it only contains cocoa butter, which accounts for its unique color and taste. By weight, white chocolate in the U.S. must be at least 20% cocoa butter, 3.5% milkfat, and 14% total milk solids. White chocolate cannot contain more than 55% sugar.
What is Carob? Carob might seem just like chocolate when processed into powder or chips and packaged just like our favorite cacao products, but carob and chocolate are completely different in terms of origin, taste, and chemical composition.