SAEDNEWS: Due to the benefits of dark chocolate for heart and vascular health, extensive research has been conducted on it. However, the findings of various researchers have been contradictory, and its potential harms should not be overlooked.
According to SAEDNEWS, researchers at Harvard University found that eating 5 servings of dark chocolate a week can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 21% compared to those who do not eat chocolate at all.
The connection between regular consumption of dark chocolate and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes was explored by researchers who asked participants to fill out specific questionnaires every four years. Researchers examined the relationship between type 2 diabetes and chocolate consumption in 192,028 participants, as well as the difference between dark and milk chocolate consumption in 111,654 individuals. They found that the benefits of dark chocolate were not present in milk chocolate; regular consumption of milk chocolate was associated with weight gain:
"Milk chocolate consumption had a positive correlation with weight gain. Compared to those whose chocolate consumption remained unchanged, increasing milk chocolate intake over four-year periods was associated with a 0.35 kg higher weight gain. Increased consumption of dark chocolate was not associated with any weight change." Overall, flavanols – polyphenol antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables – are linked to improved heart health and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. Dark chocolate, with 50 to 80% cocoa, contains the highest level of Flavan-3-ol (3.65 milligrams per gram of chocolate), while average milk chocolate (with 35% cocoa) contains only 0.69 milligrams of this compound.
As a result, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes was 21% lower among individuals who consumed dark chocolate 5 times a week, while increasing milk chocolate consumption was associated with weight gain over the long term. According to the National Health and Nutrition Survey, 11.1% of adults in the U.S. regularly eat chocolate, but only 1.4% of them consume dark chocolate (chocolates containing 45% or more cocoa).
The findings of this study were published in the BMJ journal.
