Sugar Free Chocolate

When it comes to sugar-free or diabetic chocolate there is a warning on the label stating that it has a laxative effect. That is because when people enjoy too much of the chocolate that contains the sugar alcohol Maltitol it can result in digestive upset. The American Dietetic Association 'advises that more 50 grams of sorbitol or 20 grams of mannitol per day can cause diarrhea'.

But the reason that diabetic chocoholics like it so much is that it is slowly absorbed in the intestinal tract so only a small portion is digested and absorbed therefore they don't need to use little to no insulin. Therefore diabetics really need to read the label to see how many grams of sugar alcohol are in the product.
Although there have been chocolates for diabetics for years, once in a while a person will encounter a less then authentic taste with chocolate.

There are newer forms of diabetic chocolates based on maltitol. Maltitol is a natural occurring sugar found in starch. These sugar-free chocolates based on maltitol don't have the same unpleasant aftertaste that other artificial sweeteners often have. Besides, maltitol is very stable and has a high melting point, making it great for making the chocolate.

Maltitol based chocolates tastes almost as sweet as sugar based chocolates except fewer calories and doesn't cause tooth decay like sugar does. An additional benefit of Maltitol is that unless you eat an excessive amount of the chocolate it shouldn't cause stomach upset. It also has a replacement of fat and it still gives the chocolate that rich creamy taste.

In the recent past diabetic chocolates were based on saccharin which became popular during the Second World War because the sugar supplies were scarce.

During the sixties sweeteners were blended with saccharin in an attempt to improve texture and flavor. So when in the '80s when aspartame came into being it was like the greatest thing that came along since sliced bread. That was because it could be blended with fruit flavors. However, this has caused some misconceptions about "diabetic" foods among people with diabetes.

Unfortunately, people confuse sugar-free from diabetic. Thinking that they can indulge themselves, sugar-free still has carbohydrates.

What people don't realize is that they can make their own diabetic chocolate.

You start with finding sugar-free nuggets and wafers that can be used in diabetic chocolate. It takes a little research on the Internet. Then once that is done then get molds that you like. Then melt the chocolate slowly over a double boiler. If you don't have a double boiler then just use a pot over another pot that has water in it. Just make sure that no water gets into the chocolate, otherwise it gets really runny. Stir continually so it doesn't burn! That is very important, I found out myself! Some people try the microwave oven but you have to do it very slowly at 30 second intervals, once again so it doesn't burns. But on the up side there isn't any water contamination.

Once the chocolate is properly melted just pour it into the molds and let it harden (this is a cheat, put in the refrigerator).

So a word to the wise, just watch yourself so you don't eat too much. There could be some problem that would be diarrhea and since these have a high fat contain there maybe some weight issues.

So read the labels before you buy sugar free chocolate.

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