A Dietitian’s Picks of the 9 Best Chocolates of 2024 in Italy

Introduction

We always love to hear sweet compliments, sweet polite voices. What we don’t like is harsh, rude, bitter things. And to make our mouth feel sweeter, there isn’t a better alternative to chocolate. Eating chocolates is what everyone loves to prefer, be it, adults or children. And to cherish the best taste one should always look for the best chocolates in Italy.

Chocolate is known as the “Food of the Gods”. The chocolate word is derived from the generic name Theobroma Cacao- literally meaning Food of the Gods. The main ingredient of chocolate is cocoa, grown mainly in the equatorial zones of South America.

Where sweetness is one reason, some of them also benefit our health. It helps in lowering cholesterol levels, preventing cognitive decline, and reducing the risk of cardiovascular problems.

Chocolates are an excellent source of quick energy, and they also contain minute amounts of stimulating alkaloids theobromine, and caffeine.

Be it a gift for a proposal or a festive season (like Easter, Diwali), to make a child happy, to bring a smile to every person’s face, chocolates play a very important role. Chocolate is an acceptable gift on holidays and occasions like birthdays. The chocolate being the very first love of every man, woman, and child, is reckoned to be a solution to every problem from upset and anger to happiness.

Chocolate is also used as the main ingredient in a variety of candy and chocolate bars, which typically contain various confectionery ingredients ( wafer, caramel, nuts, etc.) which are coated in chocolate. Chocolate is also used as a flavouring product in many desserts, like cakes, brownies, mousse, etc.

To make it taste even better than usual it comes in a number of flavours and sizes. These additional cherries on cakes have created a lot more confusion to select the best chocolate that tastes great and is also good for health.

So to ease it out a little let’s delve into the list to know the better side of the best chocolates In Italy with remarkable features because when” One Eats Healthy, Stays Healthy.”

Let's take a deep dive into these 9 best Chocolates in Italy

Tips for choosing the right Chocolates for you

Several factors play a very important role when selecting the best quality chocolate and they are as follows:

Check for an emulsifier

There should be no emulsifier in your chocolate. Naturally, chocolate is made up of mainly three ingredients: cocoa powder, cocoa butter and a sweetener. But some manufacturers add emulsifiers in their products to create a more smooth and creamy mouthfeel.

So before buying just check if carboxymethylcellulose or polysorbate 80 is not present in it because these can be the reason for causing inflammation in the body.

Opt for 85% cocoa content or higher

Dark chocolates contain more cocoa content ranging from 70% to 90%. The higher the cocoa content the lesser will be the sugar content in the bar. And less sugar is good for your health and willpower.

Skip milk chocolates or white chocolates

White chocolates contain less amount of cocoa and more sugar. So, it is advisable to eat loads of dark chocolates instead of milk chocolates. So never get attracted by fancy packaging but do check for the ingredients labelled on the package.

Look for organic

The benefit of eating organic is that these chocolate are less exposed to pesticides and insecticides. Thus, the health-promoting content of food polyphenol created by plants remains intact in the food. So organic food ensures higher polyphenol content.

Going for total organic and pure chocolate means a reduced level of processing ensuring intact antioxidants and nutrients which is extremely good for health and maintaining a good texture of your skin whereas processed chocolates contain chemicals, preservatives etc.

Avoid lead and cadmium contamination

Lead exposure has been a significant public health issue for decades because it is linked with a variety of neurological impairments. Cadmium can cause damage to the kidney, liver and bones.

Therefore, before buying the chocolate look for these in the list of ingredients to avoid buying the product.

No alkali present

Alkali is used in chocolate to make it more mellow, soft and darken the cocoa. The use of alkali degrades the vital health benefits of cocoa by destroying the polyphenol present in it.

The polyphenols function as an antioxidant and also improve athletic performance for better healthier vascular function to better cognitive function.

So before buying the chocolate look at the package if it’s written processed with alkali, if it is so then avoid buying that chocolate.

Uniform Color

Always look for a chocolate, which is free of discolouration. Any discolouration or grittiness is a sign of improper storage and it may also indicate spoilage. So always check for a matte glass finish over chocolates.

Check for an Expiry Date

Every packed product has an expiry date or best before once it is manufactured. On the expiration date, the product becomes unfit for consumption. The expiry date is set according to scientific parameters and tests.

So it is important to check if the chocolate you are buying is fresh or not, if not then don’t buy it.

Quality and Freshness

Chocolate is best when eaten within a year of its production, but high-quality chocolates can be consumed well past their sell-by date. But this is not applicable to every brand of chocolate and type of chocolate. Flavanols provide excellent antioxidant properties and health benefits while keeping the chocolates fresher tasting longer than that store-bought chocolate which contains artificial preservatives.

Benefits of using Chocolates

Chocolates are an incredible source of powerful compounds loaded with a number of health benefits and health potential for active performance, including:

• Increase blood flow to the brain– Flavanols in dark chocolates have a positive impact on brain function, including better reaction time and stronger memory. And these flavanols increase the blood flow to the brain.

• Reduce signs of brain ageing– The polyphenolic components found in chocolate helps in reducing signs of brain ageing and improve the functioning of the brain.

• Reduce oxidative stress– The polyphenolic components have antioxidant properties which prevent the oxidants to build up in our body which affects our body system.

• Improve skin appearance– The flavanols help in keeping the skin health improved by acting as a good antioxidant.

• Better cognitive function– Due to better blood flow to the brain on the consumption of dark chocolates help in better cognitive function.

• Enhanced athletic endurance– The epicatechin present in chocolates produces an increased amount of nitric oxide which helps in improved circulation and reduces the amount of oxygen an athlete uses while engaged in moderately intense exercise.

Side-effects of using Chocolates

Consuming chocolate in excessive amounts can lead to adverse effects such as weight gain due to its high calorie and sugar content. Additionally, some individuals may experience migraines or acne outbreaks triggered by certain compounds found in chocolate. Moderation is key to enjoying its benefits without experiencing these side effects.

Conclusion

We have tried providing all the requisite information in this article that you need to have before buying any good chocolate in Italy.

Was this article helpful to you? Then do share it with your friends and family so that they get benefited from this as well. Also, do share your feedback with us, and do not forget to mention your pick from this list of the best chocolates in Italy!