Eating dark chocolate most days cuts our risk of Type 2 diabetes, research suggests.
Consuming five servings of dark chocolate a week was linked to a reduced risk according to a 25-year US study of almost 200,000 people. People who ate at least five servings a week of any type of chocolate - where one serving is equal to a standard chocolate bar or 1 oz - had a 10% lower rate of type 2 diabetes compared with those who rarely or never ate chocolate.
A secondary study of 111,654 participants showed people who ate at least five servings a week of dark chocolate had a 21% lower risk of type 2 diabetes. No lower risk was identified here for milk chocolate. The study showed a 3% reduced risk of type 2 diabetes for each extra weekly serving of dark chocolate. However the findings, published by The BMJ, showed increased consumption of milk, but not dark, chocolate was associated with long term weight gain.
Chocolate contains high levels of flavanols which is a natural compound found in fruits and vegetables and has been shown to boost heart health.
Study author Qi Sun, of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, US, said: “Increased consumption of dark, but not milk, chocolate was associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Increased consumption of milk, but not dark, chocolate was associated with long term weight gain. Further randomised controlled trials are now needed to replicate these findings and further explore the mechanisms.”
They key ingredient in chocolate is actually very healthy but when consumed as milk chocolate bars it has usually been heavily processed and combined with a host of unhealthy additives, sugar and fats. Read more on how to find 'healthy chocolate' HERE.
Professor Baukje de Roos, of University of Aberdeen, who was not involved in the study, said: “This is a first very large-scale analysis of an association of chocolate intake and self-reported Type 2 diabetes across three prospective cohort studies in the US. The distinctiveness of this research is that they specifically assessed which type of chocolate was linked to diabetes risk.
“As dark chocolate has a much higher cocoa content this means that bioactive compounds in cocoa, and in dark chocolate, such as flavanols, may contribute to the lowering of diabetes risk, possibly by increasing insulin sensitivity. However, if and how flavanols on their own reduce diabetes risk remains to be established. The authors found that milk chocolate consumption was associated with weight gain, whereas dark chocolate intake was not. Weight gain is an important risk factor for type 2 diabetes development.”
Chocolate’s key ingredient, cacao powder, is the dried and fermented seeds of the cacao tree. These seeds are native to the Amazon but have been used in Central and South America for over 2,000 years. Cacao is a known mood enhancer, can combat tiredness and fatigue is also good for our gut bacteria. It is very nutrient dense and mineral rich. It contains the key compound flavenols.
Diabetes UK estimates that about 4.4 million people in the UK are living with a diabetes diagnosis. The new study analysed food frequency questionnaires taken every four years for a link between type 2 diabetes and total chocolate consumption in 192,028 people over 25 years on average. In this study 18,862 people developed type 2 diabetes.
Dr Lucy Chambers, head of research communications at Diabetes UK, said: "This research adds to the body of evidence that is being built around specific foods and their relation to risk of type 2 diabetes, but it doesn't demonstrate that eating dark chocolate directly lowers type 2 diabetes risk. Studying diet is complex and affected by many different interacting factors. Eating more dark chocolate might sound appealing, but, while it can be enjoyed in moderation, we wouldn't recommend it as a strategy for reducing your risk of type 2 diabetes based on current evidence.
"The strongest evidence for reducing type 2 diabetes risk lies in supporting people with combined interventions, including a balanced diet, physical activity and sustained weight loss which can be effective in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes by about 50% in some people."