“A large U.S. study suggests that eating dark chocolate five times a week may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by 21%. In contrast, milk chocolate showed no benefits. However, more research is needed to confirm these findings.”
A long-term U.S. study published in The BMJ found that consuming five servings of dark chocolate per week was linked to a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The study analyzed data from 192,208 participants on total chocolate consumption and 111,654 participants on dark and milk chocolate intake over an average monitoring period of 25 years. It revealed that people who ate at least five servings of any chocolate each week had a 10% lower risk of type 2 diabetes compared to those who rarely or never ate chocolate.
Further analysis by chocolate type revealed that, among 4,771 participants who developed type 2 diabetes, those who ate at least five servings of dark chocolate per week had a 21% lower risk, while no significant link was found for milk chocolate. Additionally, the study found a 3% reduced risk of type 2 diabetes for each extra serving of dark chocolate consumed weekly.
The flavanols in dark chocolate might counteract the effects of saturated fat and sugar on weight gain and the risk of cardiometabolic diseases, such as diabetes.
However, the authors noted that the study’s observational nature means causality cannot be firmly established, and other factors may have influenced the results. They concluded that increased dark chocolate consumption was linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, while higher milk chocolate consumption was associated with long-term weight gain.
(Source:https://scitechdaily.com/eating-dark-chocolate-5-times-a-week-could-lower-your-risk-of-diabetes/)