Regular dark chocolate intake linked to lower diabetes risk
Research reveals that regular consumption of dark chocolate is associated with a 21% lower risk of type 2 diabetes. This finding comes from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, highlighting the differences between the effects of dark and milk chocolate.
Researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health have demonstrated that choosing dark chocolate over milk chocolate can significantly impact health. The study, whose results were published, found that regular consumption of dark chocolate is linked to a reduction in the risk of type 2 diabetes by as much as 21%.
For over 30 years, 192,000 adult participants in the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, who were free of diabetes at the start, were observed. By the end, nearly 19,000 were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. It turned out that those who consumed dark chocolate developed the disease less frequently.
While dark chocolate was associated with a lower risk of diabetes, milk chocolate had no effect on this risk. However, its consumption was linked to weight gain, which, in the long term, increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. As Prof. Qi Sun stated, the polyphenols present in dark chocolate may neutralize the effects of saturated fats and sugar.
A new approach to chocolate
The research observed that consuming 5 ounces of chocolate weekly was associated with a 10% reduction in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes; however, it was dark chocolate that had a key influence on this result. Scientists emphasize that not all chocolate is the same, and it's worth paying attention to the products chosen.
In this way, new discoveries may change the approach of many chocolate lovers and help them make healthier choices every day, according to Binkai Liu, the main author of the study.
Information collected by the Polish Press Agency (PAP) indicates the need for further research into the effects of dark chocolate on metabolic health.
