No, dark chocolate will break a fast.
While dark chocolate (especially varieties with 70% cacao or higher) offers some health benefits, such as improved circulation, lower blood pressure, and a reduced risk of heart disease, it still contains calories, fat, and sugar. These nutrients trigger metabolic processes that end the fasted state.
Here's why dark chocolate breaks a fast:
- Caloric Intake: Any food with calories will generally break a fast, as the body begins to digest and metabolize the nutrients.
- Insulin Response: The sugar and carbohydrates in dark chocolate stimulate an insulin response. Insulin is released to help transport glucose from the blood into cells, effectively signaling the body that it's in a fed state.
- Digestion: The act of digesting food, including dark chocolate, disrupts the cellular processes associated with fasting, like autophagy.
Therefore, consuming dark chocolate during a fasting period negates the benefits you're trying to achieve through fasting.
