What Are the Dangers of Nutella?

The European Parliament approved a draft measure requiring foods high in fat, sugar or salt to be labelled with a red warning. These foods include Nutella. For a public that's used to warning labels restricted to items like cigarettes, the prospect of seeing a warning label each time they'd dip into a jar of delicious hazelnut chocolate came as a shock. Is Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread actually a danger to your health?

Sugar

• Two tablespoons of Nutella, which is one serving, contain 22g of carbohydrates, of which 21g are sugar. The daily sugar requirement for most people is 34g a day and this includes the sugar that goes into breads, cereals, packaged foods, fruits and cooked foods. If you regularly eat 2 tbsp. of Nutella each day or more, it is very likely that you're overdosing on sugar. Excess sugar is stored in the body as fat.

Fat

• Each 2 tbsp. of Nutella contain 200 calories, 100 of which are from fat. Total fat in each tablespoon is 11g, of which 3.5 are saturated fats. Unsaturated fats are found from plant sources and are easier for the body to burn than saturated fats, which are often the products of processing natural plant oils. This excessive source of fat and energy is not a good thing for people trying to lose weight.

Sodium

• Nutella contains 15mg of sodium per tablespoon. Nutella is sweet but packed with salt and preservatives. A diet with excess salt causes fluid retention and bloating. Long term effects of salt are quite dangerous -- excess salt intake causes an increase in blood pressure which in turn causes health problems, such as heart and kidney disease.

Addiction

• Nutella contains high amounts of salt, sugar, and fats, all of which are harmful for you but also addictive. Sugar is the most addictive substance of all. You may have noticed that the more sugar you eat, the more you crave. It may taste great, but the empty calories lacking in any nutritional substance are bad news for your health.