SaedNews: Research on dark chocolate's health effects has been extensive but contradictory. While it offers cardiovascular benefits, potential harms exist. A new study suggests that regular consumption may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.
According to the Science & Technology service of SaedNews, researchers at Harvard University found that eating dark chocolate five times a week can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by 21% compared to those who do not consume it at all.
In their study, researchers asked participants to complete specific questionnaires every four years. They examined the relationship between type 2 diabetes and chocolate consumption in 192,028 people and compared the effects of dark and milk chocolate in 111,654 people . Their findings showed that the benefits of dark chocolate were not present in milk chocolate. In fact, regular consumption of milk chocolate was linked to weight gain:
"Milk chocolate consumption was positively associated with weight gain. Compared to those who did not change their chocolate intake, an increase in milk chocolate consumption over four-year periods was linked to an additional 0.35 kg weight gain. However, increased dark chocolate consumption was not associated with weight change."
Overall, flavanols —a type of polyphenol antioxidant found in fruits and vegetables—are linked to improved heart health and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes . Dark chocolate, with 50-80% cocoa content , contains the highest levels of flavan-3-ol , providing 3.65 mg per gram of chocolate. In contrast, milk chocolate, which typically contains only 35% cocoa , has an average of just 0.69 mg of these beneficial compounds.
For this reason, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes was 21% lower among individuals who consumed dark chocolate five times a week . However, increased consumption of milk chocolate was associated with long-term weight gain .
According to the National Health and Nutrition Survey , 11.1% of adults in the US regularly consume chocolate, but only 1.4% of them eat dark chocolate (chocolate containing 45% or more cocoa ).
These research findings have been published in the BMJ Journal .
