Note: There is also a comparison review of all healthy chocolates that I've reviewed and that are sold through network marketing (aka MLM). Keep in mind, you can enjoy any of these chocolates without having to engage in the "income opportunity" aspect, but they do give you that option. Each of these also has its own review page, as do those dark chocolates sold in stores that I think surpass the "health value" of both Xocai(TM) and IsaDelight(TM) ... and are cheaper.
IsaDelight Review
Overall Rating: C
(Rating based on objective health and value factors and not on flavor, which is subjective.)
Summary:
A: Starting Grade.
B: Cooked as far as I know.
B-: Not Organic.
C: High sugar content.
C: Amino acids added to enhance chocolate qualities.
To keep my reviews consistent for "apples to apples" comparisons, I use the same overall structure for each.
Cacao Content:
It's unclear how much cacao is present in IsaDelight. Based on the relatively high ORAC score of this chocolate, however, I expect there is a fair amount of cocoa solids, as these contain the antioxidants of the cacao bean. The total amount of cacao, however, must be less than 65%, as 35% of the product is sugar.
They do say in some of their marketing material that they have more than 70% cocoa content. I don't know how this can be due to the amount of sugar in it. (Note: this MAY be because of the small amount of sugar naturally found in cacao, but I cannot verify this. Usually the numbers add up better on chocolate labels.)
Organic:
IsaDelight does not use organic ingredients, which is disappointing to me in a product that claims to be "healthy chocolate." I find this highly important, since consumers are spending a good deal of money purchasing these chocolates as "healthy." Non-organic ingredients may compromise the value of any ORAC score, as some of the antioxidants may be used to "fight" the toxic residue of any pesticides used.
Xylitol vs. Sugar:
IsaDelight uses sugar to sweeten its chocolate. Sugar spikes blood sugar levels and leads to many health problems. I take issue with sugary products being recommended to those on diets and to diabetics. Xylitol and agave nectar are both healthy, natural substitutes for sugar.
Proprietary Formulas
In order to separate themselves from being "just another chocolate," most healthy chocolates sold through network marketing (MLM) add something extra to their chocolate to help market it. IsaDelight is no exception. They've added an amino acid mix with the apparent intention of enhancing the mood-lifting benefits of chocolate.
Taste
I have not had the opportunity to try IsaDelight. I do imagine that any added amino acids will have a minimal effect on taste, so I expect (based on its ingredients) that it has a taste similar to any sweet dark chocolate. (Remember, this is 35% sugar, so it is under 65% cacao.)
Magnesium
Any quality dark chocolate should represent a good source of magnesium, so this isn't a KEY item to consider, but it's worth noting because magnesium plays so many important roles in our health, and most people only get 50% of the recommended amount.
At 32 mg (8% of the recommended daily value) of magnesium, IsaDelight has less magnesium than Tru Chocolate but more than Xocai Nuggets. (Xocai Power Square magnesium content is unknown.)
ORAC Scores
If you've read my page on ORAC scores, you know that this topic can be misleading. Experts recommend that we get up to 5000 ORAC units in a day, and that anything more may be redundant. Those promoting ORAC scores will probably argue against this. There are also more important antioxidants to support.
At just over 3000 ORAC units, a serving of Tru Chocolate and Xocai Nuggets are just about identical, though the Nuggets accomplish this by providing a 50% larger serving; IsaDelight contains closer to 6000 units; and Xocai Power Squares contain over 10,000 per serving. (The extra ORAC units may be beneficial since these chocolates are not organic and are loaded with sugar, as mentioned above.)
Gram for gram, however, the numbers are quite different. By the gram, ORAC comparisons are as follows:
Tru Chocolate: 380
Xocai Nuggets: 260
Xocai Power Squares: 600
IsaDelight: 530
Fat, Calories, and Sugar
IsaDelight chocolates have more fat overall and more saturated fat than Tru Chocolate but less than Xocai options. One 11.3 gram serving of IsaDelight has 4 grams of fat overall (2.5 saturated). It has more calories per serving than Tru Chocolate, but less than Xocai. It's got 50 calories per serving.
Finally, while Tru Chocolate has no sugar (it uses xylitol instead), IsaDelight is about 35% sugar, vs. 25% for Xocai Nuggets and 39% for Xocai Power Squares.
BOTTOM LINE
For all the reasons above, I do not recommend IsaDelight chocolate. If it replaced the sugar with xylitol or agave nectar and used organic ingredients, I'd be much more in favor of it. I simply don't see how you can charge so much money for a healthy chocolate without addressing either of these issues, and meanwhile promote it for weight loss and diabetics.
I'm especially against their marketing approach. They particularly market themselves as a good "cheat" to fill the emotional needs of those on diets. I believe this does not serve the dieter well, because if you do not address the cause of the emotional addiction, then down the line the person will put the pounds back on. And meanwhile, any "cheat" is going to be something that doesn't serve the diet itself.
There are fat better ways to lose weight.
Meanwhile, I think there are cheaper (but still high-end) chocolates available in stores (such as Lindt's 85% cocoa content chocolate) that are healthier than either Xocai or IsaDelight.
