I think it is important for everybody who loves chocolate and is diabetic to understand more facts about eating chocolate. There are health risks for diabetic people who eat chocolate but it is also important for people to still be able to eat chocolate with diabetes. Why should you give something up you love? Well the answer is you shouldn’t have to give up chocolate just eat it within moderation. I have provided some facts that may be helpful to you.

Chocolate contains lots of sugar and people with diabetes should limit the amount of chocolate they eat, as this can raise their blood glucose levels. If a diabetic person already has a high blood glucose level then they should not eat chocolate but if their blood glucose level is low then a small amount of chocolate can raise a diabetic’s blood glucose level.

There are sugar free chocolate products available for diabetic people to buy from shops but it also has its downsides for a diabetic person as diabetic chocolate can contain as much fat and calories as normal chocolate. Diabetic chocolate can contain laxatives and may still affect your blood glucose levels so you need to act responsibly when eating normal and diabetic chocolate.

Diabetic people need to understand the meanings of no sugar, no added sugar, sugar free and all natural, because sometimes they can be confusing for anybody not just diabetic people, no sugar, in simple terms means that the product does not contain sugar but may still contain artificial sugars which can cause a laxative effect or alcohol sugars which will raise your blood glucose levels. No added sugar means that when the product was being made that they added no extra sugar. This does not mean that the original product did not contain sugar such as fructose in fruit juice and that the manufacturers have not also added artificial sugar or alcohol sugars. Sugar free means that the product does not contain sugar but may contain artificial sugar and alcohol sugar. All natural means that the product does not contain any artificial ingredients’ but can still contain natural sweeteners such as sugars and sugar alcohol. Hence when you buy a product from a shop or online you should check all of the ingredients and if you are unsure ask the shop or a doctor before you put your health at risk.

Types of artificial sweeteners you may find in diabetic chocolates and sweets are Aspartame, Saccharin, Acesulfame Potassium, Cyclamate and Sucralose. It is believed that these sweeteners don’t affect your blood glucose levels and that they are believed not to cause tooth decay. Also it is believed that people with weight issues can use these sweeteners to sweeten drinks and cereal instead of using sugar. Always take advice from your doctor and read the labels if you are diabetic.

You can buy diabetic chocolate in shops and online or you can find diabetic recipes and make your own diabetic chocolate recipes. If you are buying diabetic chocolate online there are websites that will inform you of all the nutritional information just like the information given on the back of a normal bar of chocolate please take not of the information as you may be putting your health at risk. There is no reason why a person with diabetes cannot enjoy a normal chocolate life, just be careful. I hope this article has been helpful.