Dulce de Leche vs. Caramel — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison

Calories

Both dulce de leche and caramel are very high in calories. However, caramel provides relatively more calories.

To make the comparison between the two easier, we will be reviewing 100-gram servings of each. 

A 100-gram serving of dulce de leche provides 315 calories, whereas a 100-gram serving of caramel provides 382 calories.

Protein and Fats

Dulce de leche contains almost 1.5 times more proteins, whereas caramel contains slightly more fats.

Caramel is slightly richer in fats when compared to dulce de leche. The predominant fats found in caramel are polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are present 1.4 times more when compared to saturated fats. 

On the other hand, the predominant fats found in dulce de leche are saturated fatty acids, which are present 12 times more than polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Dulce de leche contains 4 times more cholesterol compared to caramel.

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison

Dulce de Leche

1

Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 4.534 g

Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 2.143 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.375 g

Caramel

2

Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 2.476 g

Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 1.542 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 3.478 g

Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat

+39%

Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat	-45.4%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat	+827.5%

Carbohydrates

Both dulce de leche and caramel are very high in carbs, with caramel containing almost 22g more carbs per 100-gram serving.

A 100g dulce de leche contains 55.35g of carbs, whereas caramel contains 77g. The carbs are mainly sugar (sucrose).

Neurological Health

Choline is a micronutrient required for normal brain development and growth. Dulce de leche contains 11 times more choline compared to caramel.

Choline plays an essential role in maintaining the structural and functional integrity of cell membranes; it leads to acetylcholine synthesis, which modulates cholinergic neurotransmission․

Choline improves mood, memory, and cognitive functions as well (1).

Research on mice has shown that choline supplementation during adulthood reveals a beneficial effect on Alzheimer’s disease progression and shows therapeutic effects for patients (2).

Cardiovascular Health

Section reviewed by cardiologist Astghik Grigoryan

If you're comparing the two directly in terms of their impact on CVD, Dulce de Leche might have a slight advantage. This is because dulce de leche is typically made with milk, which provides some essential nutrients like calcium and protein. Caramel, on the other hand, is primarily sugar and doesn't offer much in terms of nutritional value.

Fats mentioned above are another reason for cardiovascular and coronary heart disease risks; fats worsen the progression of the disease and increase all-cause mortality rates.

Unhealthy fats are associated with changes in the heart’s structure and function, predominantly the heart’s left ventricle, leading to its mass and volume gain (6).

High cholesterol impacts cardiac arrhythmias and leads to the development of atherosclerosis (7, 8).

Acrolein is a compound formed during the fat-heating process in caramel and is associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk (9, 10).

Respiratory Health

Diacetyl is a butter flavoring in caramel that may adversely affect the respiratory system. Employees with jobs involving diacetyl exposure or food flavorings containing diacetyl show increased occurrence of airway obstruction, bronchiolitis obliterans, or “popcorn lung,” and other respiratory disorders (11).

Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease & Insulin Resistance

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is the most common liver disease that affects up to a quarter of the population. One of its types is hepatic steatosis or fatty liver.

In most cases, hepatic steatosis is linked to increased fat ingestion. The disease is characterized by increased liver uptake of free fatty acids and de novo lipogenesis (fat synthesis from carbs). On the one hand, insulin resistance plays its role in developing and progressing hepatic steatosis; on the other hand, hepatic steatosis is linked to the secondary development of hepatic insulin resistance (12, 13, 14).

Diabetes

Large amounts or frequent use of dulce de leche and caramel lead to unhealthy weight gain and increase the risk of obesity. Obesity usually goes in parallel with fatty liver, metabolic syndrome, and insulin resistance leading to a high likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes (15, 16, 17).