Boulder Sentinel

According to a 2005 study, if chocolate contains at least 60 to 69 percent cacao solids, it might protect your cardiovascular system, reduce your risk of heart disease and reduce inflammation. But not white chocolate.

White chocolate might be creamy, have a velvety teste and is a great alternative for those who want something a little different, but is the worst kind of chocolate for you. Here are the three reasons why.

It’s not chocolate!

You read that right. White chocolate is not chocolate at all. It is made from cocoa butter, not with cocoa powder or beans. Cocoa butter is a yellow vegetable fat that comes from a cocoa bean but isn’t actually chocolate.

It is the worst for your health!

Because cocoa butter does not taste good on its own, chocolate companies (like Hershey) will always add more yummy ingredients such as sugar, milk, and vanilla. Unfortunately, most of the time white chocolate will be 60 percent of sugar, which translates to an increase of calories and fat. Just only a 3-ounce portion white chocolate contains 50.15 grams of sugar. Women should only have 24 grams or less per day and men should consume no more than 36 grams. So, you’re better off sticking with dark chocolate (25 percent sugar).

White chocolate is color blind.

Does a good kind of white chocolate even exist? If it does, you may want to know that white is not even its true color. Cocoa butter is actually pale yellow or ivory, this means that it might not even be used to make white chocolate. Make sure to check the label because some cheaper brands might use vegetable oil or other fat, and then add artificial coloring.