Digestibility of cocoa butter from chocolate in humans: A comparison with corn-oil

Abstract

To compare, in humans, the digestibility of moderate amounts of cocoa butter (30.7 g/d) consumed in the form of chocolate as part of a normal western diet with that of a well-absorbed fat (corn oil); and hence determine whether, by virtue of its apparent low absorption, cocoa butter can be considered to be a low calorie fat. Cocoa butter, consumed as black chocolate within a normal mixed diet, has a high digestibility, similar to that of corn oil, and a digestible energy value of 37 kJ/g in man.