From personal experience in dealing with a diabetic in my family, I know how difficult it is to look for a gift for a chocoholic who has to cut down sugar. The one thing about chocolate the diabetic person in my life is looking for is the one thing most chocoholics are looking for in sugar free chocolate. That is that doesn t taste like it that is sugar free. Since regular sugar is what gives regular chocolate it s taste, texture, feel good feeling. It is up to producers of chocolate to find the sugar free alternatives.
Sorbotol, mannitol, isomalt, lactate, and xylitol are what you would look for in a sugar free chocolate. Since these are sugar alcohols, they are slowly metabolized in the system because they are absorbed in the small intestine and are what produces the same mass, volume and texture of regular sugar based chocolate.
Meanwhile, polydextrose, otherwise known as aspartame, is what gives sugar free chocolate that warm swarm soft feeling. Since it tends to copy sugar, it has a superior clean taste. However, the resulting chocolate still has a high fat content. It also contains lactose, which derived from milk. Not good for those who are lactose intolerant. Besides my family member says it sometimes gave him a migraine headache. That is caused in part by one of the additives used in giving aspartame an added sweetness.
Aspartame in itself is widely known as sugar free but it is chemically made. So you may want to avoid it if you suffer from migraine headaches. This additive even though it is derived from the birch tree contains phenylethyamine.
Another such sweetener is Inulin, which happens to be a probiotic. A robotic, aka Activia, is a living microorganism which is what helps in the below mentioned maintaining regularity. So therefore, it is fermented in the lower intestine by beneficial bacteria called bifido bacteria. Inulin, since it has a lower calorie carbohydrate intake, is very is beneficial in the making of chocolate. Thus, helping people who need help in weight management. Since in the consumption of inulin, the blood sugar levels are not elevated, it makes a quality sugar substitute in chocolates for diabetics. Inulin also acts as a soluble fiber, which will help in maintaining regularity. Plus, inulin has been noted to have a positive effect people who are worried about calcium absorption like adolescents and postmenopausal women, which is an additional positive effect.
Now I have heard of Stevia. While it has no nutritional value and no caloric intake since it is derived from an herb, it could be the healthiest alternative in the long run. However, it has been noted that some diabetics had problems with it raising their blood sugar. Personally, my diabetic family member didn t have this problem.
So armed with this knowledge about what makes up sugar free chocolate. It is my hope that you as the person, who wants to indulge that special person in your life who either just wants to cut some sugar out of their life or needs to can make a healthy choice in the long run.
Chris Alleny writes about various subjects including food. For more information on great Diabetic chocolates visit http://www.ultimatechocolateshoppe.com.
Click here for more articles from ZingArticles.com