Is Chocolate Safe for Babies ?

Chocolate for its very addictive and aromatic taste is favourite of most people including our little ones, the babies. Besides many nutritional characteristics, the chocolate has been a subject of research and reviews whether it should or should not be offered to the babies. Many scientific studies have concluded, NO, we shouldn’t offer chocolate to our babies in their early age. More is explained in our video as to why we shouldn’t offer chocolate to our babies. At the same time, as an alternative, it has also been concluded by many health studies that the dark chocolate can be offered in place normal chocolate to our little ones. Why is so, have a look at the video. The dark chocolate for its healthy characteristics and antioxidant values is recommended in place of the general sweetened & sugary chocolates.

Chocolate contains milk, soy, nuts, cocoa and preservatives which is not good for your baby’s health if consumed regularly or in large quantity. We have brought this video for parents pointing out the reasons why chocolate is not good for your baby. Hope the video proves helpful for the parents to decide they should offer chocolate to their baby or not.

Here is more on the chocolate to baby:

Children are sensitive to artificial food colours and preservatives in the chocolates.

Dark chocolate is not bad for your baby’s health because its ingredients are 50-90% cocoa solids, cocoa butter, and sugar and in milk chocolate, this quantity is only 10-50%. The lower quality chocolate contains butterfat, vegetable oils, artificial colours or flavours which may have an adverse effect on the baby’s health. Both types of chocolate contain calories which may lead to excess weight gain in babies.

A study published in the Harvard, School of Public Health says:

Cocoa is rich in plant chemicals called flavanols that may help to protect the heart. Dark chocolate contains up to 2-3 times more flavanol-rich cocoa solids than milk chocolate. Flavanols have been shown to support the production of nitric oxide (NO) in the endolethium (the inner cell lining of blood vessels) that helps to relax the blood vessels and improve blood flow, thereby lowering blood pressure. Flavanols in chocolate can increase insulin sensitivity in short term studies; in the long run this could reduce risk of diabetes.

(Source:Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health)