Is healthy white chocolate?
Chocolate, in different forms and flavors, becomes a real pleasure for many people. Whether in the form of a dessert, accompanying recipes and dishes, or simply enjoying a piece of tablet, there is no doubt that it is a joy to be able to taste it. But what about the White chocolate? Is it as healthy as other chocolate varieties?
The dark chocolate it becomes the most appropriate and healthy option (1) to enjoy the different benefits offered by this popular food. Why? Fundamentally because its content in cocoa is higher, which in turn results in a higher amount of antioxidants. Therefore, with chocolate it is worth the maximum that the darker the more beneficial it will be (because it will contain a higher percentage of cocoa, and therefore, its antioxidant content will be higher).
But unlike what you can possibly think, the truth is that not all chocolates are equally healthy. And is that while dark chocolate helps protect our cardiovascular health (protecting our heart), improves cognitive and mental function, helps us feel happier and calms the appetite, other varieties such as for example could be the case White chocolate They are not so adequate.
What is white chocolate?
It is a variety made from cocoa butter, sugar and milk solids. It must contain a minimum of 20% cocoa butter, at least 14% milk solids, up to 55% sugar (or other sweeteners) and 3.5% milk fat.
That is, although we usually know it with the name of white chocolate, it's not really chocolate(two). It is obtained from cocoa butter, the natural fat from the cocoa bean, which is extracted during the chocolate manufacturing process.
And chocolate differs mainly in that: while chocolate is made from cocoa beans, white chocolate is made from cocoa butter, also known as theobroma oil. That is to say, white chocolate is a derivative of chocolate, but it would not be appropriate to call it as such.
It appeared for the first time in the market in the year 1930 in the hands of Nestlé, who created a white chocolate bar known as Galak, which was later renamed Milkybar (which you can still find in today's stores). It consisted of a tablet in which cocoa was mostly replaced by milk.
Why is not it so beneficial for health?
Many nutritionists warn that white chocolate is the least suitable chocolate variety, fundamentally because of its high sugar content, compared to other varieties, as for example is the case of dark chocolate (or even compared to milk chocolate).
While 100 grams of white chocolate provide 59 grams of sugars, 100 grams of dark chocolate provide around 46.1 grams, a somewhat smaller amount than if it adds to the nutritional contribution of the latter, we find a much more nutritious dessert.
We must not forget either the richness in antioxidants of dark chocolate. It stands out for its content in flavonoids (3), which are the main "culprits" of the qualities offered by this food. For example, it helps us to delay aging and lower blood pressure, prevent heart disease, reduce the risk of stroke, increase good cholesterol ...
However, a regular consumption of white chocolate can have a not so positive effect on our health, due mainly to its high content of fats and sugars. On the contrary, it contains a greater amount of carbohydrates in the form of sugar and cholesterol.
The white chocolate only would stand out for a greater contribution in vitamin A, calcium and proteins. However, it would not stand out precisely because it is the best option to include in our diet.
If you are passionate about chocolate as much as we remember that it is best to opt for the variety of dark chocolate, at least 70% minimum, and try to consume no more than 25 grams per day (between one to two squares, depending on the size ).
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Bibliography:
- Fernández-Murga L, Tarín JJ, García-Perez MA, Cano A. The impact of chocolate on cardiovascular health. J Food Sci. 2018 Mar; 83 (3): 689-699. doi: 10.1111 / 1750-3841.14053.
- Almudena Villegas. White chocolate is not chocolate. ZEN - The World. 09/29/2016 Accessed on 11/28/2018. Available at: //www.elmundo.es/vida-sana/bienestar/2016/09/29/57e8e6b8ca474170158b461a.html
- Shiina Y, Funabashi N, Lee K, Murayama T, Nakamura K, Wakatsuki Y, Daimon M, Komuro I. Acute effect of oral flavonoid-rich dark chocolate intake on coronary circulation, as compared with non-flavonoid white chocolate, by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography in healthy adults. Int J Cardiol.2009 Jan 24; 131 (3): 424-9. doi: 10.1016 / j.ijcard.2007.07.131.
