Dark Chocolate vs. Blood Sugar: Optimal Choice for Stability

Name: Dark Chocolate vs. Blood Sugar: Optimal Choice for Stability
Uploaded: 2023-06-29 15:17:01
Description: Dark chocolate with higher cacao content and lower sugar content has a gentler impact on blood sugar levels and is the best option for blood sugar stability.

This article is a summary of a YouTube video "Blood Sugar vs. Dark Chocolate: I Ran the Tests. Which Chocolate is Best?" by Dr. Becky Gillaspy

TLDR Dark chocolate with higher cacao content and lower sugar content has a gentler impact on blood sugar levels and is the best option for blood sugar stability.

Key insights

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The video aims to determine the level of cacao in dark chocolate that provides health benefits and when added ingredients make it unhealthy.
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Levels sells CGMs at cost to their members and only profits from the membership fee, providing affordable access to this technology.
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Despite being categorized as "healthy chocolate," the 72% dark chocolate with high sugar content caused an unhealthy blood sugar response.
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The trend of higher fat and lower carbs in dark chocolate bars seems to improve blood sugar response.
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Testing showed that 92% cacao dark chocolate resulted in a more stable blood sugar response and received a higher score than 86% cacao dark chocolate.
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The 100% cacao chocolate bar contains more carbohydrate grams than the 86 and 92% varieties, possibly due to it being more purely carb with no added fat like the other bars.
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Dark chocolate sweetened with sugar substitutes received a Levels score of 7 out of 10 for blood sugar, suggesting it may be a good solution for controlling blood sugar while still enjoying chocolate.
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Monitoring blood sugar levels through methods like finger pricks or continuous glucose monitors can provide valuable insights into how dark chocolate affects the body.

Timestamped Summary

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00:00
Dark chocolate with different levels of cacao and sweeteners was tested to see its impact on blood sugar levels, with surprising results.
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02:54
Levels offers a CGM tool to monitor blood sugar, allowing people without diabetes to use it through a research study or a prescription, with CGMs sold at cost and Levels making money from a one-time membership fee.
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04:15
Dark chocolate with 72% cacao and high sugar content caused an unhealthy blood sugar response, earning a Levels score of 4 and elevating blood sugar by 39 points.
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05:59
Dark chocolate with higher fat and lower sugar content causes a gentler rise in blood sugar, with the 92% cacao chocolate being the best option for blood sugar.
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09:33
The 100% cacao chocolate had a moderate blood sugar spike and tasted horrible, but it is high in antioxidants and minerals, despite having more carbohydrate grams and mismatched nutrition facts.
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11:31
The calorie count on dark chocolate labels may not be accurate due to inconsistencies in nutrition labels and the oversimplification of calorie counting, resulting in a significant difference in calorie count.
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13:44
Dark chocolate sweetened with sugar substitutes had a moderate impact on blood sugar levels, but it is unclear whether the suppressed response was due to the sweeteners or the added fiber, while the 92% cacao chocolate is the best for blood sugar stability and has a good level of cacao and a touch of sweetness, making it the winner, but not recommended for snacking or weight loss goals.
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16:34
How dark chocolate affects your blood sugar levels may vary depending on your body's insulin sensitivity, so it's best to monitor your levels using a blood glucose monitor or a CGM.