One piece (at a time) Good News Chocolate is good for you

[Tryfan]

Followers of Dr Sinatra may well have seen this. I have been taking minimum 80% Cocoa fat dark chocolate for a number of years, Read some time ago of its alleged health benefits. Seems that those assumptions are now being proved correct. I just happen to like dark chocolate so no problem for me. For those with a sweet tooth you will have to try to re train your taste buds.

heartmdinstitute.com/diet-n...

[Hidden]

Yes, dark chocolate is part of the Mediterranean diet. As you know, the percentage of cocoa solids has to be high (from memory at least 50-60%) to gain the health benefits which rules out a lot of high street chocolate. Green and Black is good, as is Willy’s Caocao (a Venezuelan dark chocholate). I don’t think you are intended to eat tons of dark chocholate ,however, for obvious reasons!

[Auriculaire in reply to Hidden]

Here in France milk chocolate used to be considered as something for children but with the changing times and the infiltration of junk food habits there is more of it about. At a chocolatier in a village about 30 km away they make a 99% chocolate. It is quite bitter and has an odd texture described as "épaisse dans la bouche" - literally "thick in the mouth". I prefer their 95%.

[Tryfan in reply to Auriculaire]

You could start an on line export business. Niche market.

[Auriculaire in reply to Tryfan]

Too busy enjoying retirement.

[Palpman]

Only 1 block a day??? What a waste of time. I have half a slab or 50 gramme per day. My wife keeps at me about diabetes though.

[sleeksheep]

I eat Lindts 95% cocoa - I dont have a sugar habit but I do have a chocolate addiction.

Good thing that chocolate is good for you.😋

[Belle11]

I gradually changed from sweet milk chocolate through 70%, 85%, 90% chocolate and now love 100% chocolate from Montezuma. Good to know it's good for me if I don't eat too much of it. (Sugar had been bad for my health in lots of ways.)

The enhanced immunity mentioned in the article seems like a good reason to keep eating it just now too.

[Tryfan in reply to Belle11]

Well done. Reducing sugar in one hit is hard. The way you have done it is perfect. Like you I enjoy 85 to 95% cocoa. Milk chocolate like sugar in tea or coffee I can no longer take. Has to be good. Just one thing see if you can locate cocoa nibs. These are the dried small seeds from which chocolate is processed. There is a shop ( now closed due to Covid) called Grape Tree i sprinkle a teaspoon on my morning porridge. Best wishes.

[davebakerpurton in reply to Tryfan]

Grape tree are open in some locations, and online.Both Lidl and Aldi do very good high cocoa content chocolate.

[Tryfan in reply to davebakerpurton]

I have purcha6from Lidl it good stuff. My suggestion of locating Cocoa nibs. These are the most unrefined cocoa that I think you can purchase. Love them on my morning porridge.

[davebakerpurton in reply to Tryfan]

I used to work in the bakery trade and we had pure cocoa mass, one of the trick on new staff was, if you want a bit of chocolate help yourself, they never came back for more it was like eating pure cocoa powder.😜

[Belle11 in reply to Tryfan]

Getting off sugar took me years Tryfan! I have to regard myself as being like an alcoholic - if I start 1nto sugar, I just want more and more! Thanks for the cocoa nibs suggestion - I think our local wholefood shop stocks them

[Tryfan in reply to Belle11]

It is hard to cut sugar. I remember years ago as a telephone engineer. Driving around in order to have chance of a warm drink had to take all the accruitiments with you. I got fed up carrying everything and decided that sugar is the one thing I could try and do without. Took a couple of weeks. Couldn't drink tea or coffee with sugar now. You dont realise how sweet it is. It's only by mistake when taking a mouthful .

[Cha275rL in reply to Belle11]

I love 70 and 80% dark chocolate, but ohhh, just don’t know how you can like 100%. Have tried it but.......just no.

[Belle11 in reply to Cha275rL]

I got to a stage where eating anything with sugar in triggered acute knee pain - so it was needs must! And then I got used to it and now I really like it, especially the Montezuma one with peppermint oil in.

[Cha275rL in reply to Belle11]

Never tried that one. Watch this space! 🤔

[Tryfan in reply to Cha275rL]

Let us all know how it goes.

[Belle11 in reply to Cha275rL]

It may be an acquired taste Good luck.