Ignorance Is Bliss: The Dark Truth About Chocolate & Diabetes

[@trentriver]

I do not believe that you have ever posted anything where there was no value. Always informative. Thanks.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

I appreciate that!

[@vonticehembree6083]

I wholeheartedly agree!! ❤

[@peterbedford2610]

Addictions are real. After 6 weeks of carbs under 20%, I am starting to not like sweet tasting things. And I had a strong sweet tooth.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Impressive!

[@Mateuszyk]

Good for you! I have similar experience with sweet things, before I could eat milk chocolate and drink Coca Cola. Right now dark chocolate 70% is too sweet! One apple after hard work is enough, or somekind of homemade sport drink (water, lemon, salt, 1 tbs honey). Also does sweet food provide anything good for your body? I don’t think so!

[@Superflyradioguy]

I experienced a similar effect.. And my chocolate addiction was very bad! Free will not so much.

[@Khadija-uu4vm]

Same here.

[@stevelanghorn1407]

I find I've "used" 90% Dark Chocolate in the last few years in an attempt to satisfy my sweet tooth & steer away from habitual snacking on biscuits & cakes etc. It's basically a whimpish way of trying to wean myself off a lifelong addiction to sweet carby crap!

[@charliepan4055]

I dont think that is wimpy. I couldnt do that.

[@kbkesq]

That’s called being self aware. Well done.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Is it working? In your individual life it's important to choose what's practical, not always what's ideal. I can speak to the methods, but only you know your life and what will work and what won't.

[@stevelanghorn1407]

@@nicknorwitzPhD Yes thanks. Definitely helps.👍

[@canadiannomad_once_again]

For me it is similar with coffee. I decided I'd consume coffee as a fill in for any sugary drink that I'd usually consume.. It fills the spot of the bad habits with something I consider less bad. Dark chocolate feels like a good sub-in for worse habits. It is a healthier choice in face of so many worse options... Though maybe not optimal, it feels more realistic for me to achieve.

[@adrianthomas6899]

I’m a 59 yo cardiologist, research trained etc, but battling the annoying metabolic syndrome or as we used to say ‘syndrome X’. Mild hypertension, dyslipidemia and now insulin resistance or pre-diabetes. From a life of controlled trials my CGM is my n=1 source of data and it’s really annoying because 100% cocoa, roasted or raw spikes my sugar. I’m keto all the way until I drop 30lbs and then I can maybe enjoy the risks. I enjoy your videos keep them going!

[@jasonc247]

Sounds like an immunogenic response? You're intolerant of something in the chocolate.

[@essere_felice]

@@adrianthomas6899 Caffeine inhibits glucose transporters.

[@judyculang3766]

What if you eat the chocolate right after a meal? Also, the recommendation is only one square. It hardly moves my number especially if I eat it for a dessert - not a snack

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Thank you for sharing Adrian. 100% cocoa is great :). Good luck on your journey!

[@jayjohnson3732]

One downer about chocolate. According to Dr. Berry, it’s very high in Oxalates.

[@saaydbrionesdelagarza222]

I just take one serving per week beacause is also high in heavy metals

[@charlesfuchs]

Nope, do the research

[@dbiedler]

Oxalate, phytates and tannin are present, for fully informed consideration. Amounts may depend upon type, source, processing, combination with other ingredients. :)

[@mynameis-John-]

Cocoa Butter No Oxalates?

[@szymonbaranowski8184]

and polyfenols, and heavy metals too, but do you want to skip it? I prefer this while cutting out honey full of fructose as real honey is hard to find and so expensive as well

[@jamesdellaneve9005]

This is a confounded study. The milk versus dark is a marker for sugar addiction. I agree on your assessment.

[@jackiedelvalle]

For treats I use that 100% black Montezuma chocolate he showed to make a mousse thing. I heat double/heavy cream, then drop a couple rows of choc in, add cream cheese, pinch of instant coffee, pinch of salt, few drops of stevia and maybe a teaspoon of vanilla. Whizz it all together till the choc is all mixed in - maybe a minute or two. Stick in the fridge for a few hours and it firms up. It's very rich and dense so you can't eat much at once. It lasts for days in the fridge. 😋

[@Julia29853]

That sounds delicious! Sometimes Stevia can spike insulin though..

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Sounds really great Jackie!

[@2009raindrop]

Never knew that chocolate was a fermented food! You have such a great way of explaining things - I would love to see a video where you explain some of the more common research/statistical terms like "confidence interval", etc.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Thanks :) I'm not sure my broader audience would enjoy a video strictly reviewing statistical terms. Honestly, google/wiki are decent for that.

[@luddity]

No Lab Coat Required also breaks complex things down in a way that's easily understandable.

[@somecooney5304]

dark chocolate is harder to consume in great quantity. It also lets me not eat milk chocolate, which makes it a better option in a world where it's one or the other.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Practical!

[@timothylong7835]

Greek style yogurt + organic cacao (Peru) + Glycine ( the only sweet amino acid) add cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, vanilla to taste

[@techo___o]

I used glycine as a mild sweetener too!

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Sounds great! Full fat Greek yogurt I hope ;) ... maybe some crushed macadamia ... yum

[@charliepan4055]

Inuline good for microbiome also has sweetsness too it.

[@jaredpryor2522]

Isn't nutmeg straight poison and dark chocolate contains very high oxylates and natural heavy metal contamination?

[@Eyes0penNoFear]

I'm happy that more and more people are discovering glycine. Many are deficient, so using it can satisfy a sweet tooth AND provide health benefits.

[@M.Campbell]

I've learned a lot about how to evaluate data from watching your videos. Thank you.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Great to hear!

[@Poecilia1963]

Before I changed my WOE I was eating a *lot* of chocolate. Dark and decent quality, but waaay too much. When I switched I made my own with 90% chocolate, cocoa butter and allulose - I have experimented in making chcolate over the years with various sweeteners and this is the only one I've really liked. I made a big pan (about a pound or a bit more of it), broke it up and put it in the freezer a couple of months ago. So far I've eaten probably 4 ounces of it, when I remember it's there, one small piece is enough. It's delicious but I can take it or leave it. Which made it clear that when I said I looooved chocolate, it was the sugar in it that I loved.

[@DonaldGaron]

Dark Chocolate is very high in oxalates.

[@dennisgarber]

I paused at the recommended point, just after the 2 minute mark. My finger trembled, hovering over the touch screen, as sweat dripped from the finger onto the phone. Should I continue, and slake my curiosity and become better educated? Or should I stop there and become healthier, in my own mind, enjoying unlimited amounts of dark chocolate? Honestly, I probably should have decided and saved myself 20 minutes dripping sweat all over the the screen. Fortunately, touch screens do not work so well when covered in sweat. So, I went down to the our still standing Christmas tree and took a long, long chocolate break. It was like a sign from God!!!!

[@kaychesnut2898]

What I really appreciate is the process used to critically think about the limitations of the study and possible confounding factors.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Glad you found it informative!

[@dennisward43]

Yes and not just this particular study but many others that promote dodgy conclusions.

[@kathymayes4290]

Most chocolates have way too many heavy metals in them. One of the five that doesn’t is Ghirardelli’s. I can’t remember the other four brands.

[@jack_batterson]

Most chocolate contains lead and cadmium. Dark chocolate being higher in these metals.

[@stavross3321]

This paper should not have been published, i wonder if these conclusions are funded by the food industry. 😢

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

My opinion is it should not have been published in the BMJ and that some of the interpretation should have been tempered. I don't think it added much to the literature.

[@jerrycash5606]

Thanks Nick, Good talk Recovering chocoholic...

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Glad you enjoyed it and hopefully learned something.

[@tlewis5901]

VALUE ADDED, love chocolate, no refined sugar, learning to use allulose (RX Sugar) thanks to Dr. Nick :-) not an addict as in the past just adding low/no sugar chocolate to mooring coffee with an intent NOT ot increase OR spike my insulin. You did it again Dr. Nick great job great work (curious) 🤗

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Thanks! Glad this is helpful :)

[@MohseenLala]

WHY do they cluster things that are not the same (except in name) in studies? This is really causing a lot of confusion and hence trouble down the road. As a lay person, I feel like these studies are done very irresponsibly.

[@mctrustsnoone3781]

I agree, I think they are done deliberately to confuse and redirect the thinking of the lay person. It’s abusive.

[@Sological]

When conducting studies, there are several excellent reasons to use different types of things. Consider a hypothetical study on tylenol for pain. All types of factors and variables may have impacts of the effectiveness of tylenol. It's the way studies have to be conducted to get an accurate picture of it's effectiveness. That's my lay person's explain, if I'm understanding your question.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

They need to... think about how you collect information on these food frequency questionnaires and how you'd do the analysis. It needs to be, at some level, categorical... doesn't mean it's good though, nor that I agree with the categories. But bear in mind, not many people are eating 85%+ dark chocolate

[@MohseenLala]

@@nicknorwitzPhD Yeah, but it's not just about chocolates. I remember this vaguely, off the top of my head, so please forgive me if this all wrong. But there was a study about the ill effects of red meat consumption, and the things listed as "meat/red meat" were pizza, hamburgers, pasta, lasagna. It wasn't in fact, just plain steak. And the conclusion that was drawn from the study is that red meat is bad for you. It's like people doing nutrition science, aren't serious people (at least from a layman's perspective).

[@MohseenLala]

@@Sological hmm, close, but not on the money. It's like as an example. Imagine a study titled (why red meat is bad for you). And then the study concluded that eating too much red meat puts you at risk of whatever evil disease you'd like to insert here. And then you read the study carefully, and participants were fed pepperoni pizza, hamburgers, lasagna, etc. And these foods were categorized as "Red Meat". Do you see how misleading that can be?

[@catcan221]

I would agree this is another association not causation study. When I discovered that my high oxalate keto diet was an issue, I went from eating dark chocolate to only occasionally eating a keto homemade milk chocolate to lower my oxalate intake.

[@AstonAcademia]

So, dark chocolate's potential health benefits are often linked to improvements in endothelial function and positive effects on blood pressure. There's also some interesting research suggesting possible neuroprotective effects, which might be due to enhanced cerebral blood flow and how it affects neuronal signalling. However, there are definitely things to be aware of. Oxalates, which are found in decent amounts in dark chocolate, can bind to calcium in your gut. This can potentially reduce calcium absorption, and for some people, particularly those prone to kidney stones, this can increase the risk of developing calcium oxalate kidney stones. Then you have the methylxanthines, namely caffeine and theobromine. Caffeine, as many know, acts as a central nervous system stimulant by blocking adenosine receptors. Theobromine is structurally similar to caffeine but has milder stimulant effects, although it does contribute to vasodilation (widening of blood vessels). While the concentrations in dark chocolate are lower than what you'd find in a cup of coffee, they can still be disruptive for some people, especially those sensitive to stimulants. Here's a key point about the chocolate itself: higher cacao percentages generally mean higher concentrations of beneficial compounds like flavanols, but unfortunately, this also means higher oxalate and stimulant levels. So, it's a bit of a balancing act. Also, alkali processing (sometimes called Dutching), while it reduces bitterness, sadly also significantly reduces the levels of those beneficial compounds. Finally, there's stearic acid, a saturated fatty acid found in dark chocolate. Interestingly, it’s metabolised by the body into oleic acid (a monounsaturated fatty acid, which is considered heart healthy) and doesn't seem to have the same negative impact on cholesterol as some other saturated fats. Good vid Nick

[@stevelanghorn1407]

Great info. Moderation is the key. And old-school common sense.

[@techadsr]

Thanks for the Taza mention. That my choice to eat a strip with a few macadamia nuts chewed together.

[@chargermopar]

I hate chocolate and always have. Roasted plant material never appealed to me, it's why I hate coffee.

[@MohseenLala]

Lucky you. I've had to find all sorts of workaround to get off sweets and treats. The best I came up with was mango/strawberry smoothie using monk fruit. And if you freeze it in a popsicle mold, you've kinda got an ice cream, too.

[@Ratchetti]

You wrong, choklad good

[@jaimemcmahan6273]

Woah… must be nice - I love both

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

How would you treat yourself after a dementor attack?

[@stilmotionpicture]

Wow that much? Even those sugary, or white chocolate that taste soo good that hijacks your tastebuds? By the way, there are little to no chocolates on those white chocolate 😂

[@MsINSANE2]

Very interesting! I learn something new with every one of your videos.

[@andrejrokavec3917]

Spot on Nick great example of variability of a single food item and how complex it is, then you have interactions between different foods and genetics. More people should talk about the methods of the study so that people do not draw conclusions that cannot be drawn from the data. For nurses health study they mail out food frequency questionnaire every 4 years, these kind of studies are only useful if you want to muddy the waters, data is so noisy and can so easily be manipulated to spin out any narrative they want, it's one of the most quoted studies in the nutrition space.

[@bonnycarney8431]

Believe it or not I was looking up recipes this morning on how to make my own dark chocolate, when your video popped up😆 I know for myself I need to keep balance and enjoy my Low Carb keto lifestyle. Otherwise I’m gonna fall flat on my face into a plate of something that I shouldn’t be eating. Thanks Nick

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Now I want to know exactly what's on the plate in excruciating details. And YW!

[@bonnycarney8431]

@@nicknorwitzPhD I’ve called myself a food addict for most of my adult life. I’m 68 yrs old , maintaining 145 pound weight loss for many years.(Low Carb,12 yrs keto) I can struggle with impulses if I eat high carbohydrate food, something switches on in the brain. My siblings are alcoholics, not me I’m a little food alcoholic!

[@24carrotgold8]

I recently tried a reduced chocolate syrup recipe substituting allulose. A cup of allulose, 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/3 cup water, a pinch of salt and a splash of vanilla. Stir continuously over medium heat until no grainy texture. Store in a pint jar. 😋

[@boli4203]

Taste OK?

[@ematise]

👍🏻 As I see, dark chocolate s case is going trough the same things as the meat is going in studies. Because of the presence of sugars, I prefer to use cacao and coconut oil for making my own chocolate.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

"cacao and coconut oil for making my own chocolate" sounds nice

[@Poecilia1963]

I have used coconut oil - I use cocoa butter now, it's even better.

[@emosag]

@@Poecilia1963add some coconut milk powder, and it’s even more delicious! 😋

[@Poecilia1963]

@@emosag I've done it with coconut cream, and I like it (I consider coconut to be a food group!), but I actually do prefer the cocoa butter.

[@youngr369]

Thank you for all of your informative videos Nick! Would you consider making one of what you eat in a day or over the course of a week? I'd be curious to know what eating Keto looks like for you?

[@DrTonyHampton]

Keep up the great work Nick

[@suegerfen5950]

Dr. Hampton! You're one of my favorite docs!

[@Amy-tl2xe]

Thank you for turning us on to Taza - it is the only chocolate we eat now!

[@patl3854]

I love chocolate, especially dark chocolate. There are some brands that have unacceptable levels of lead and/or cadmium. Ghiradelli is one of the good ones with lower levels. Some brands that are labeled organic are not good.

[@willbrink]

If it were one study, I'd find it interesting. That there's so many studies that find correlation between dark chocolate and various benefits to our health, convinces me it's a legit effect. However, epi/correlational only goes so far as to cause and effect. As Dr Norwitz points out, healthy user bias and other possible factors may account for some of the effects found in such data. There's a bunch of known and identified beneficial compounds in cocoa, so there's mechanisms to look at there too. Per usual, more data is needed, I feel the bulk of the data is strong enough to recommend dark chocolate (70% or above cocoa) or quality cocoa added to coffee, etc for it's health benefits, be is cardio vascular, anti oxidant content, etc. There are some cocoa/dark chocolate RCTs to look at too.

[@altmuligmannen3086]

I make my own chocolate bars using sucralose as sweetener. It only takes 0.06% to make it about as sweet as sugar sweetened "dark" chocolate with 85% cocoa. I also add a little vanilla powder and some powdered salt. The trick when making chocolate bars is to get the "snap" right, and for that you need to control the melting and pouring temperature carefully. (google "tempering chocolate"). I might try to use allulose, but I suspect it would kill the snap because allulose tends to make baked goods in general more soft/gooey and less snappy than sucrose does.(gingerbread as an example). I am also uncertain as to whether the allulose would dissolve completely in the melted chocolate or if it would make it somewhat grainy (No moisture in chocolate). I reckon 15-20% allulose would be needed to achieve the same sweetness.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Interesting study worth a look: "Short-Term Consumption of Sucralose with, but Not without, Carbohydrate Impairs Neural and Metabolic Sensitivity to Sugar in Humans" PMID: 32130881 Cell Metabolism 2020. Maybe stevia > sucralose?

[@altmuligmannen3086]

Yes, I have heard about that study. Hopefully the cocoa in the chocolate does not contain enough carbs to yield that combo effect... I wonder if the effect is unique to sucralose or if other artificial sweeteners could give similar results?

[@crherrick111]

I take a square of Ghirardelli 100% dark chocolate (it has fluted edges) and add a little bit of liquid allulose. It's a balancing act.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Sounds great

[@dacisky]

This was so good Nick. I sometimes make my own chocolate treats cause I love dark chocolate but refuse to buy it already loaded with sugar and seed oils. I'll be checking out the recipe,thanks. I hope you can provide us with more allulose products as time goes on,as I'm a fan!

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Thanks! Have friends working on that!

[@srudine]

I always appreciate your analysis of topics. Especially ones like this that probably everyone can relate to. I only eat 80% Cacao bars or I may add 1Tbs Hershey's 100% Cacao to my decaf coffee as an added treat. BTW, Dr. Boz's Dutch Chocolate BHB is out of this world.

[@singamajigy]

I’m wondering how much oxalates are in dark chocolate.

[@conscience-commenter]

Always remember... , even the finest, most expensive dark chocolate has heavy metals . Always consume in moderation .

[@TheSimonwoodward]

Great review. I’ll continue to have my 85% dark chocolate after dinner most evenings. But I wonder if the database might contain similar hidden information regarding the French Paradox wrt drinking red wine. I find any Pinot noir will drop my bgls on my cgm, so of course, I do have to sip my PN while nibbling my dark chocolate. 👍🏻

[@lindabirmingham603]

Just know that that oxalates, phytic acid, and tannins in the cocoa will prevent your body from absorbing the calcium, magnesium, zinc , and iron from your dinner. They also interfere with protein digestion.

[@jeffgobert9325]

As a 3 year carnivore, 41 years old, physically active with work and 10 years of resistance training. Ive used about 15g of unsweetened Bakers chocolate daily to significantly lower my systolic and diastolic blood pressurewithin a matter of weeks.

[@JohnnyBoy-c4b]

Love your work, Nick. Another highly informative video. Thank you! I would love to see you do one focusing on the cardio vascular benefits and just how concerned I should be about the heavy metals in dark chocolate.

[@aroowoof]

I’ve been keto and now ketovore since 2019. The whole way through, I’ve used generally between 6 and 20 grams of 100% chocolate daily. Must. Eat. Chocolate. I’ve been using the Baker’s brand 100% chocolate, which I can get for about $4 per 4 oz bar. For years I used Montezuma, but when Trader Joe’s stopped carrying it, I switched. Nick’s Taza is a little more than twice as expensive as the Baker’s brand. So, the question is whether the Taza is significantly safer regarding the lead/cadmium issue. I’ve read that Ghirardelli is on the safer end of the spectrum. I couldn’t find info on the safety of the Baker’s brand.

[@mattbhagify]

Hi Nick- can you consider doing a video on your list of the top evidence based interventions to lower cholesterol for those whom should be lowering their cholesterol?

[@PhiIosophyGeek]

Stay curious!

[@petejandrell4512]

'steak you're E-S' (E-S =Extra Special)

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

you know it!

[@BBQFangirl-de3qe]

I make my own ‚chocolate‘ with butter, cocoa and a little bit of allulose. I keep it in the fridge so it does not get soft. Cocoa butter is expensive, plus its a plant oil. That way I limit the plant content to the Cocoa powder. Though it is a stimulant. Too much and i cannot sleep, similar to caffeine. I need keep the quantity low due to my cortisol issues.

[@jjjames6894]

Very complete video, love that u mention contaminants and recommend a reasonably priced brand low in them & clarify about cacao vs cocoa & flavonoids! I def take it as a supplement with my daily protein shake, it’s also good as an internal sunscreen like lycopene. Thanks doc!

[@valeriesmith477]

Finally a recipe that I can use with my stash of cacao butter and allulose! Thanks much!

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Welcome :)

[@jamesalles139]

My 'dark chocolate' is 72% cacao or higher, which generally gets better than 5:1 carbs to fiber ratio, and less than 10 grams sugar per serving. There are times that I will eliminate it for a goal of zero fructose in my diet. thanks for the video

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

72% is better than 50%. I'm a 95-100% person. Ik, odd.

[@kevindouglas2060]

70% has the best balance of taste. But it's far more expensive than the ordinary stuff. The people who eat dark chocolate are more interested in quality than volume. They almost certainly won't eat as much. Less candy = better health.

[@Dee-743]

I will always have a sweet tooth but after three months on carnivore, I stopped that excessive craving. I craved junk and sweets 1,000% more when I was eating them. Now, I hardly give it a thought. I was not sure it would be possible for me but it is.

[@CarbageMan]

I think I'll try the linked recipe, thanks! I kinda like ~60% cacao chocolate sweetened with allulose, etc. but to be frank, allulose sweetened dark chocolate isn't exactly on Walmart's shelf. 😞 PS: RxSugar brand was actually on Walmart's shelf in the pharmacy section, but only in small quantity for a few weeks. Kroger, too, only for a few weeks. I bought from both of those. They didn't really have anything like a Hershey's Dark, which would be ideal.

[@corpsiecorpsie_the_original]

I'm curious if transitioning to eating darker chocolates helps combat a "sweet tooth" in general. Like, is there a cascading positive effect.

[@brucewhite200]

I buy my dark chocolate on line from Goalz. 4 ingredients cocoa mass, cocoa butter, allulose. And sea salt. They have 60 percent and brand new 75 percent. Comes in a cylinder box and the chocolate is in the shape of small disks. Love it but on the pricey side. Check it out!

[@janalderton8644]

I love your motto, "Stay Curious!"

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

I got it tattooed on my bicep a month ago. First and only tattoo

[@adamrust61]

I buy raw cacao nibs and add them in my smoothie, which includes a cold sweet potato and a small dash of honey among other things. I love it. No processed stuff in it and the nibs blend up fine and give a nice chocolate tone in the background.

[@lindabirmingham603]

The oxalates, phytic acid, and tannins in the cacao prevent the absorption of minerals in your smoothie. Sweet potato is also high on oxalates and phytic acid.

[@susieqmartin2746]

It’s interesting that you talk on this I found out instead of buying Swiss Miss ketogenic cocoa that I could make my own by using Dutch processed dark chocolate cocoa, and aulos in my coffee in the morning and I love it!

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Wonderful! How does un-ductched taste to you?

[@susieqmartin2746]

@ I can’t tell the difference. I was amazed as, I love hot chocolate in my coffee! I had ran out decided to add it to Allulose, like I had add cinnamon to Allulose before too, so it turned out great! In baking Dutch processed chocolate is supposed to be the best.

[@sadtosuccess]

I always statistically adjusting for healthy user bias is like trying to guess how many eggs are in a cake. You may be able to make a guess that there are 3 eggs based on the fact that its a Victoria sponge cake and recipes usually call for 3 eggs but the reality is the baker may have only had small eggs so used 4 or may prefer the cake with fewer egg yokes so uses 1 egg and 5 egg white etc. The reality is you can talk about general recipes but not actually about the number of eggs. Then there is the issue that even if they account for the obvious factors they can never account for all the factors, I've yet to see a study that accounts for good sleep quality, but I'd put money on the idea that more health conscious individual priorities sleep quantity and quality.

[@karhorng]

lol, as a T2DM reversed, I'm so skeptical about all this recommendations to prevent diabetes. medical research journal are so biased and screwed for gullible patients who didn't question all this but trusted them straight instead. all this journals should be reviewed and updated periodically by researcher like Nick. people like that idz dude who keeps citing all this journals are spreading misinformation.

[@rs-hf8mz]

Chocolate is controversial IMHO. Too many pesticides, toxins & heavy metals.

[@SimplyHuman186]

Oxelate. Lectins. Phytates

[@btudrus]

You forgot oxalates and unehalthy, toxic flavonoids...

[@BeefNEggs057]

And natural defense chemicals designed to make you sick - plants don’t want you eating their babies. Avoid all seeds/nuts/legumes.

[@BeefNEggs057]

Avoid things that are bitter or sour in nature. They are supposed to warn you not to eat it. We’re too dumb now and think bad is good and good is bad. We are a completely broken species deceived and brought into darkness.

[@cheffatgrams]

@@rs-hf8mz The antioxidants in chocolate help neutralize free radicals in the body and protect cells from oxidative stress.

[@shellderp]

Could you do a deep dive into antioxidants? Is there any strong evidence that they are healthy?

[@K_F_fox]

I have to wonder if there's something broader, specifically I'm thinking of the "nontaster" tongue phenotype, rather than anything special about dark chocolate itself. A nontaster would be better with dark chocolate, black coffee, leafy greens without a sweet salad dressing, kava, and other bitter foods.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

I don't think these were non-tasters... but to your point about an underlaying taste bias that skews towards less unhealthy food intake... it's possible.

[@richardjaffe9972]

Great podcast as usual. Full of useful information. What do you recommend how to find out which chocolate or cacao has the most flavonoids and least toxic metals? A good independent accredited lab maybe?

[@dkeener13]

Oh I'm sure it's 90-100% healthy user bias. People who eat dark chocolate vs. milk are likely to be more health conscious, have a less rapacious sweet tooth, actively trying to limit their sugar intake, etc. I'm always skeptical about the ability of researchers to "adjust" away this obvious confounding when trying to link an ingredient to a specific outcome via association data. But at the same time, I think it's useful for people to try to move themselves TOWARD liking dark chocolate over sweeter stuff. It's one of those efforts that helps move you toward being more of a "healthy user" by changing your palate, your attention to labels, etc.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Yes, healthy user bias was strong, and discussed. Think you can train your taste buds? I do.

[@shdwbnndbyyt]

I am taking a "chocolate" break for the next month or so. I admit that I have problems with controlling my chocolate intake. I started out with one sqaure a day... after several months I was up to half a bar a day. After another year, I was up to eating two four ounce bars a day... thus I started my chocolate fast. Of course I eat unsweetened Bakers chocolate or a cheaper alternative.

[@lindabirmingham603]

Nick, when are you going to study plant antinutrients and toxins? It would be beneficial to mention these as well when you recommend food choices. Especially for oxalates which are in so many nuts, seeds, greens, tea, and chocolate. The dose makes the poison. Oxalates also accumulate throughout the body.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Send me your most compelling study. While I respect some people may have sensitivity to oxalates, I’m not compelling that eating dark chocolate constitutes a major health risk because of its oxalate content. If you have data that say otherwise, I’m very open to reading. Thanks :).

[@hamiltoneast]

Nick, we make our own dark chocolate. Cacao powder, unsalted butter, dash of real vanilla and some allulose (just enough to not be too bitter). Good stuff.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Sounds yum!

[@jobrown8146]

I use liquid stevia for my chocolate, which I make with either medium salted or unsalted butter or coconut oil.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Yummers!

[@mickster1780]

Nick, what do you think of Xylitol?

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

I'd avoid for similar reasons as erythritol. I'll have a video on this up later this month.

[@mickster1780]

@@nicknorwitzPhD ok thanks. look forward to your video on it.

[@truehealth992]

My favorite chocolates use allulose. I enjoy both Goalz and Goodsam. Thanks for the informative video!

[@alialfergani4339]

Your pun game is unreal xddddd. Getting important facts and laughing my ass off while I'm at it, perfect work break video!

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Tell that to my gf... she hates my puns... I rarely get better than a 4/10... glad someone enjoys them.

[@alialfergani4339]

@@nicknorwitzPhD I'm all here for em 😁😁

[@Sleaveless]

Great info thanks

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Welcome

[@adorableadornments1101]

I love this. I already enjoy chocolate with Allulose, I just wish it was more available. And, yes, I agree, the studies are very misleading and confusing.

[@julieponce3345]

Wonderfully done

[@msdawntreader]

Always great!

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Thanks!

[@1JRains]

Thanks for the info! I'm a 60% dark chocolate lover. I can't do higher without feeling like the chocolate is taking every bit of moisture out of my mouth! My husband loves the darker chocolate. Again, thanks for the dig into this study!

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Welcome! Ever try making your own dark chocolate with stevia or allulose?

[@1JRains]

@nicknorwitzPhD I haven't...yet! I'll let you know if that's something I tackle. Currently I'm sprouting broccoli seeds and sprouting wheat berries and dehydrating them to make flour for sourdough bread. But! I AM curious about making chocolate with allulose! More research needed! 😁

[@littlemiss4041]

I so so look forward to watching this one-I always knew "dark chocolate" hype.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Did you enjoy it? ;)

[@RechtmanDon]

Guylian now produces Belgian Fairtrade chocolate, both milk choc and intense dark choc, sweetened with stevia and some erythritol.

[@IQTech61]

Your findings are not surprising to me because I have learned a lot about the flaws in observational studies from you and Professor Bart Kay. I am also a chocolate snob and since going Keto, I still eat chocolate but only if it is sweetened with Stevia or other Keto sweeteners. I have discovered that the only dessert I like now is a single serving of Lily's 85% dark chocolate. Nothing else tastes like chocolate. I wonder if people who eat true dark chocolate are eating less sugar not only because there seems to be less sugar in dark chocolate and because dark chocolate becomes more satisfying than other sweets?

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Lily's is erythritol, more so than stevia. Take a look at the front of the package vs the back. There's actually a lawsuit against them for mislabeling ongoing...

[@anniebeanie710]

Tip: if living in walkable neighborhood like me in Europe, make sure to check for all the places selling good quality chocolate ... you will have motivation to go for a walk like never before :-) . I even found i have store of company making high quality chocolate made with erythritol about 3 blocks from my home :-o ! And they even make milk chocolate with low sweetness level, resulting in you actually eating it slowly and mindfully instead of like chocolate devouring robot as easily happens with cheap milk chocolates.

[@hill3363]

Great information! Thank you.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Welcome!

[@ronaldlenz5745]

Nick, how do you have time for such in-depth analysis while still in med school? Thank you.

[@HSLSFirst]

Your review said it right.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Cheers :)

[@joelsombroek]

Undutched cacao has up to 7 times more polyphenols than Dutched cacao, btw. But it's hard to find out which types are undutched.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

You can taste the difference... and cacao powder will usually say if it's dutched somewhere on the package, I think

[@willemvanriet7160]

For myself I can testify gravitating to dark chocolate as I became more health conscious and trying to reduce my sugar intake. Went along with more exercise, going on a low carb diet nd doing intermittent fasting.

[@ramblinrozz2242]

I make chocolate fat bombs, mellt 2 sticks butter, 1/4 -1/3 cup coconut oil 3 squares Ghirardelli 86,% dark chocolate bar. Sometimes add some vanilla or a big tablespoon peanut butter. Also add a sprinkle of salt and stevia and chill.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Sounds nice... also I think "big tablespoon" just translates to "2 Tbsp serving size, lol!"

[@AntisocialRedNeckNerd]

I started eating the %72 dark chocolate a few years ago. It has sugar so not a perfect item. But, I switched from mike chocolate which had even more sugar. Also, I eat far smaller quantity of dark chocolate vs. milk chocolate. Those facts alone should make this a better selection. . .

[@spiralinandspiralout]

Why no one talking about cacao nibs. Maximal flavonols, minimal processing, delicious crunch

[@leondbleondb]

Not sure if the filter is necessary on the video image. But good vid thanks 😊

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Not sure what you're referring to. Editor might have done lighting adjustments ... didn't ask.

[@mattythebatty1]

Dark chocolate and coffee are dose dependently linked to health outcomes. Maybe it's as simple taste. Perhaps people that prefer bitter flavours just eat a healthier diet with more vegetables.

[@tinknal6449]

Or eat less sugar and carbs.

[@mctrustsnoone3781]

Less sugar.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

The new secret to health: train your taste buds?

[@tinknal6449]

@@nicknorwitzPhD I can now tolerate unsweetened bakers chocolate.

[@asinheaven]

Thank you for analysing the flawed or biased study. The other factors of BMI and healthy eating score are most likely more important. Correlation is not causation. Thank you most of all for the example of a healthy brand of dark chocolate - TAZA! Duly noted!

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Welcome. Glad you found the video useful.

[@ilariabertini968]

ohoh a dark chocolate mousse made with a high quality dark chocolate (love 99 and 100 % with cocoa beans) water and extra virgin olive oil, sprinkled with salt flakes ::))))

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Yum

[@woolgathrr]

No need to avoid sugar if you get plenty of the micronutrients that work with it to produce energy

[@lseh4720]

Oxalates in chocolate? I love dark chocolate but recently learned that they have high oxalates and can cause kidney stones. My oxalates levels were very high at my last test.

[@edl653]

Chocolate is not 1 thing. - Most chocolate sold is chocolate with lots of sugar. Thx, excellent video.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

agreed. and thanks.

[@dort5436]

Does the research show caoco helps stem cells? Or do you have things that help stem cells grow? Sister in law has a compression in back. She can't feel anything beyond C5.

[@OGPedXing]

If you're going for a Harry Potter joke you should use "Avada Godiva!!"

[@Gamerallday2012]

As a gamer myself, gamers paid to be isolated in a monitored space with closed circuit system of acquiring food with prior signed consent, would be brilliant, i personally would participate in it for free for carnivore exposure potential!

[@scrappytea]

Thank you!

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

You're welcome!