Scientists Find Eating Dark Chocolate May Lower Your Risk for Type 2 Diabetes

From prevention.com

Experts explain how different kinds of chocolate affect your risk 

• Eating more of one type of chocolate may lower the risk for type 2 diabetes, new research finds.
• Dark chocolate, specifically, was found to be associated with a 21% lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
• Experts explain how different kinds of chocolate affect your risk.

There are health benefits to chocolate—and new research proves it. A new study found that eating more dark chocolate may lower your risk of type 2 diabetes—but other types of the sweet treat may raise it.

A study published in BMJ collected data from over 100,000 healthy adults. Over an average period of 25 years, these participants completed a food frequency survey every four years, which included how much chocolate they ate and their intake of dark and milk chocolate.

Throughout the study, 18,862 people developed type 2 diabetes. Of these participants, 4,771 people documented the types of chocolate they consumed.

Researchers found that people who ate at least five ounces of any type of chocolate per week had a 10% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes in comparison to those who never, or rarely, consumed chocolate.

When it came to different types of chocolate, eating dark chocolate, in particular, seemed to be associated with a 21% lower risk of type 2 diabetes, compared to those who rarely (or didn’t) eat it. For every additional serving of dark chocolate that people ate, they lowered their risk of type 2 diabetes by 3%.

On the other hand, researchers found that eating milk chocolate was associated with long-term weight gain, which is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes.

While these results are fascinating, there are still some unanswered questions. Keep in mind that this study is observational, which makes it impossible to determine whether dark chocolate is causing the lowering of type 2 diabetes risk alone. Also, most of the data was collected from white adults older than 50 at baseline, which may limit the ability to generalize the findings to other populations. Lastly, the levels of chocolate consumption were relatively low among the study participants compared with the national average, which may have hindered researchers’ ability to assess the association between type 2 diabetes risk and higher intake of chocolate.

So, how might dark chocolate lower type 2 diabetes risk? Eating the cocoa-filled treat may be linked to a lower risk of developing diabetes, but it’s important to remember that more research is needed to determine if there is a causal relationship, says Akhil Shenoy, M.D., endocrinologist and medical advisor at Aeroflow Diabetes. “Still, the association was telling as it was dose-dependent—the more the dark chocolate consumption, the less the risk of developing diabetes—and was consistent with findings from other studies,” he notes.

Dark chocolate is a rich source of flavanols which are natural antioxidants, disease-fighting compounds found in fruits and vegetables, says Sophie Lauver, M.S., R.D., L.D.N., registered dietitian at Aeroflow Diabetes. “These flavanols can also be anti-inflammatory and help to increase blood flow.” Studies show that cocoa may help with slowing carbohydrate absorption, improving insulin sensitivity, preserving insulin-producing cells in our pancreas, and improving lipid levels, which may prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes, she explains.

When compared to milk chocolate, dark chocolate contains more cocoa, more flavanols, and less sugar and fat, explains Lauver. “It is a more concentrated source of the healthy parts of chocolate with fewer of the ingredients and nutrients that are known to increase diabetes, obesity, and overall chronic disease risk,” she says.

The bottom line

Dark chocolate can be a part of a nutritious diet and a higher consumption of it has been associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, says Lauver. “People may feel like a healthy diet or a way of eating that can prevent disease may be unrealistic or unexciting but fun foods such as dark chocolate can be included without sacrificing our health—and maybe even improving it,” she says. However, keep in mind that unlike dark chocolate, milk chocolate intake may be associated with an increase in weight gain, she notes.

Despite dark chocolate’s known health benefits, it can still be a concentrated source of calories when consumed in excess, Lauver points out. “Higher concentrations of dark chocolate are most beneficial for health but may be less palatable as cocoa percentages increase. I recommend searching for a dark chocolate that’s 70% cocoa or higher, with more being better,” she advises.

When it comes to lowering your risk for type 2 diabetes, make sure you are eating a wide array of whole plant foods, says Lauver. “We should minimize our intake of fat (especially unhealthy fat), sodium, and added sugars,” she says. We also need to move our bodies regularly and stay active, manage stress, stay hydrated, and decrease our reliance on ultra-processed foods and eating outside the home, she suggests.

https://www.prevention.com/health/a63186905/dark-chocolate-lowers-type-2-diabetes-risk-study/