Is chocolate really bad for you? How about dark chocolate...is that ok?

Monday Nov 15 2010

LowLow nutritionist Dr Evelyn Hannon replies:

Although we can have a ‘good’ or a ‘bad’ diet, I don’t believe in using the terms ‘good’ or ‘bad’ to describe any one food, including chocolate.

Chocolate can be enjoyed as part of a healthy balanced diet. However, it is one of those foods with a high fat and calorie content and should be eaten sparingly.

Dark chocolate does contain higher levels of antioxidants (mainly flavonoids) compared to milk or white chocolate due to the higher cocoa content.

Antioxidants in the body essentially neutralise substances called free radicals, that can cause damage to cells.

This helps to maintain healthy cells and tissues in the body, and contribute to healthy cardiovascular function.

Fruit and vegetables also contain high amounts of antioxidants.

So while it is good to know that dark chocolate contains ingredients that are good for us, as with any high fat sugary foods we still need to eat it in moderation!

A better approach to increasing the level of antioxidants in our diet is to increase our fruit and vegetable intake as not only are they high in antioxidants, they are also low in calories and high in fibre, vitamins and minerals.

Thanks to LowLow Nutritionist Dr Evelyn Hannon RPHNutr. For more information on LowLow check out www.facebook.com/lowlowireland

If you have a question for Dr Evelyn, email health@independent-digital.com

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