Chocolate is One of the Most Common Vices on the Planet. If You’re Cutting Gluten Out of Your Life, do You Also Have to Eliminate Your Favorite Chocolate Treats?
The Short Answer:
Natural unsweetened chocolate is gluten-free, but most store-bought chocolate contains ingredients which can add gluten.
The Long Answer:
Chocolate in its natural unsweetened form is 100% gluten-free! REJOICE! Right? Well….most people don’t eat natural unsweetened chocolate made solely from liquefying roasted cacao beans. So those of us trying to live gluten-free lives have to pay extra special attention to what chocolate products we’re consuming, as do people trying to eat vegan as that can get a little tricky. Lucky for you, we tell you what to look for on the label to see if your favorite chocolate is vegan.
Many store-bought chocolate products have added ingredients, some of which may contain gluten. Be on the lookout for anything with cookie or pretzel ingredients, crispy candies or anything made on equipment that’s used to create gluten products.
Lindt Chocolate Lindor Truffles are sadly one of the no-go products, despite having no cookie or pretzel-based ingredients. Lindor truffles are created using barley malt, which is chock full of gluten, so they should be avoided at all costs.
If you’re living a gluten-free life, you should be used to reading labels by now. But it’s never more important than when trying to indulge a sweet tooth.
What is Gluten?
Gluten is a name for proteins found in rye, wheat, barley and triticale. Gluten functions as an edible adhesive, holding foods together and maintaining their shape.
It can be dangerous for those with an autoimmune reaction known as celiac disease. Affected individuals could see heightened weight loss, vomiting, abdominal pain, bloating, persistent diarrhea or constipation, brain fog and a skin disease called dermatitis.
Gluten is also known to cause gut inflammation, which can lead to digested food making its way into the bloodstream through the intestines. As such, harmful viruses and bacteria that would have normally been eliminated by the digestive system could be let loose into the bloodstream.
Eliminating gluten from your diet can lead to easy weight loss and increased energy in individuals, which is why it has become such a popular diet trend.
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