Ultra Processed Foods - Lindt 70% Dark Chocolate

[Wheninromme]

I bought ‘the book’ a while ago and have only got round to reading it recently. I feel disgusted, as I assume most did, with the food industry. I have cut out every possible UPF from the family’s diet (with the exception of some moderately processed condiments - mainly soy sauce, stock). We are now consuming up to 5% PF/UPF (previously 15-20%).

I have also recently switched to One-meal-a-day for its health benefits. I have thoroughly enjoyed it and it has definitely helped my cognitive functioning, especially during work.

In the past week, I have really enjoyed a dessert to follow my main: Greek yogurt, frozen berries (blueberries, strawberries or raspberries), Manuka honey and crushed cashew nuts. With a few calories to spare, and previous knowledge that dark chocolate has health benefits; I purchased Lindt Excellence 70% Dark Chocolate.

After eating it with my coveted dessert, I went to research the benefits of dark chocolate again - only to find this exact brand and bar is linked with high levels of heavy metals.

I am gutted and don’t understand how these companies continuously get away with playing with the public’s health (rhetorical question). AIBU to bin the chocolate? What are the alternatives you enjoy…

I’m completely hardcore - Montezuma’s 100% dark chocolate.
M&S do a 100% one as well, but Montezuma’s is better.

Been there. Done that.
Read the book, indeed I did Zoe too.
Gained a stone.
Craved the banned UPFs.
Fell off the wagon.
Balance is the key in all things in life I feel.

I don’t think a square or 2 of dark choc will cause you much harm. Some of this becomes obsessional.

What's your source of information about a link with heavy metals?

Had no idea about this, but on checking this out it’s not the only brand affected.
The man in the photo did the analysis apparently . Not sure if being naked helped in some way 🤔

I'd rather have a bar or two a week of chocolate I really enjoy, like Wispa gold or Twirl.

I don't care how bad they are, it's a treat not health food.

Funny Zoe has been on my list of things to buy for a year! What exactly caused you to gain a stone?

Balance is key - however I am one of those people who can gain weight very easily so having a strict ‘diet’ is required.

I am pretty stringent on my UPF and go for 80%+ organic chocolate. I've never trusted Lindt generally. I didn't know about the heavy metals issue though.

One of many articles: https://www.onlymyhealth.com/lindt-confirms-presence-of-heavy-metals-in-chocolates-what-does-it-mean-for-your-health-12977820298

Love Lindt - happy to continue to enjoy it

@CrispyK not this guy, he gives me the absolute creeps!

This heavy metals stuff sounds rather like what people say about vaccinations… are you sure it’s not bunkum? As in all foods will have trace metals (and don’t we need some? Iron, zinc etc?) and/or the presence of them isn’t actually an issue? I get cutting out soya lecithin but you’d have to go full Good Life to rid yourself of things like that. And even then won’t you be reliant on soil/compost composition? What about driving, that’s incredibly bad for you in terms of inhaled pollution. I can’t imagine a bit of chocolate is worse.

Nuts and seeds
Sourdough
Full fat greek yoghurt
Oats
Zoe cookies (upf free but calorific)
I wouldn't recommend Zoe tbh. I don't think the science is mature enough with regard to the gut microbiome, and the results they offer.
It's a lot of money for what seems to be common sense. Cook more from scratch, add lots of fruit and veg (eat the rainbow) and portion control.
Also, there's something self indulgent about continuous glucose monitoring for people who aren't diabetic, and are lucky enough to have a fully functioning pancreas.

Yanbu OP and I can provide a safe disposal process for any unwanted Lindt 70% Excellence Chocolate that you want to get rid of. Pm me your email address and I'll send you details of where to post it.

I’ll fight you over them!

Montezumas is amazing but we have the 100% dark with orange and then melt it and mix it with sugar free muesli.

You'll struggle to find any easily available commercial chocolate without the issue, tbh. Green & Blacks is the same.
There's lists out there of safer ones but they're not cheap.

@dashingthroughthe Well a few of the articles link prolonged exposure with: Hypertension, immune system suppression and reproductive health issues. The first two I have previously suffered with, so guess I want to try and not consume anything that increase the likelihood.

In general, I think if you have knowledge of something not being good for you (and your money and lifestyle permits) it’s best to just avoid it. Driving for example, is not something I could completely stop doing because I am heavily dependent on it.

@Autumnblackberries Fair, I always remembered those 00’s reality shows like Super Skinny, Super Fat and Secret Eaters so I weigh pretty much everything that is high in carbs/fats like the cashews.
And I totally agree with you on the self indulgent habits ‘normal’ people take up!

Yes but they are articles. Not scientific papers. I would consider myself quite anti-UPF and moderately crunchy but I’d like to see the scientific data. Prolonged exposure through two pieces of dark chocolate a day? Or prolonged exposure through being a miner of such metals, or living in a town where the water is full of them?

Because stress and anxiety are pretty bad for your body too, and I think that’s what these articles create.

The body can get rid of low levels of heavy metals even lead so i personally wouldn't worry much about it

I think balance is key. Keep your body strong with healthy diet so it can cope with the odd UPF /chemical here and there

Ps I'm reading the book now 🤣

I love dark chocolate and I eat loads of it despite knowing the fact about heavy metals. It's a generic issue due to cocoa being grown in countries where they use polluted sewage water etc to the plantation causing the contamination of the cocoa pods while growing.
All chocolates will have some contamination, only option is to stop eating and demanding the companies to pay fair prices to the cocoa farmers so they can do farming properly with enough resources.

Christ it's a cult.

The trouble with this is you're stuck on a feedback loop. You've a bad case of confirmation bias.

@dashingthroughthe No you are right, and as a PP mentioned a lot of this can become obsessive.

@user18368 hehe if you are not already disgusted, get ready.