After being diagnosed with diabetes, it is in your best interest to eat low-sugar and low-calorie foods. This is why there is a place in the market for diabetic chocolates. UK and US diabetics alike benefit from having access to this food product.
Diabetic chocolates are also referred to as sugar-free chocolates. Because they have little or no sugar, they do not raise the blood sugar levels to the degree that regular chocolates would. Hence, the diabetic who ingests them needs less insulin than would otherwise be the case.
Diabetic chocolates manage to be sweet even thought they do not contain sugar because they contain sugar-replacers. Sugar-replacers are chemical substances such as maltitol, isomalt, mannitol, xylitol and sorbitol that taste sweet. These particular sugar replacers are digested and absorbed at a minimal rate. Hence, they do not cause dramatic rises in blood sugar levels. Among them, maltitol is the sugar-replacer most typically used to manufacture chocolates for diabetics.
The Need to Eat Diabetic Chocolates in Manageable Portions
Theoretically speaking, an individual could eat an entire bar of chocolate for diabetics without ingesting prohibitive levels of sugar. Realistically speaking, though, this would be an unwise move. First of all, sugar is not the only food content that diabetics need to consume in low amounts. Diabetics should also keep their consumption of fat, including saturated fats, in check. Chocolate’s key ingredient, cocoa butter, has significant fat content, which is not a big deal when diabetics consume it in minute portions. However, when they take large portions of it, they do ultimately consume significantly-sized amounts of saturated fat. Hence, they end up ingesting many calories.
The other reason why diabetics are ill-advised to consume diabetic chocolates in large amounts is that maltitol, the sugar-replacer, causes stomach discomfort. When ingested in large amounts, it can cause diarrhea. This is because most of it remains undigested as it passes through the digestive system. It subsequently starts to ferment, drawing water to itself as it does so. This results in symptoms that include gas and diarrhea.
In short, the fact that chocolate or any other food product has low or negligible amounts of sugar does not justify ingesting it in large amounts. Diabetics should be careful about what they eat and should eat small portions, especially of candies and desserts. There are larger dietary issues to keep in mind. Superficial approaches to managing diabetes are not sufficient. Rather, dietary modifications should be holistic and should take into account patients’ larger nutritional and health needs.
Having determined the importance of managing the ingestion of diabetic chocolate, you should look up the varieties of sugarless chocolate on the market. You may find it most convenient to place an order online and to get a delivery of diabetic chocolates by post.
Related articles: Diabetes Menu Planner | Diabetes Birthday Cake | Diabetic Ice Cream Recipes |
