Posted on 12/09/2024 7:09:58 AM PST by Red Badger
Participants who ate at least five servings of chocolate weekly had a 10% reduced risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D), with dark chocolate showing an even stronger effect—a 21% lower risk. In contrast, milk chocolate consumption was linked to long-term weight gain, which may contribute to T2D, but not to a reduced risk of the disease. Researchers emphasized the health benefits of choosing dark chocolate over milk chocolate and cautioned that these findings may not apply to individuals with very high chocolate consumption.
Dark chocolate consumption may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes by 21%, while milk chocolate does not show similar benefits, according to a Harvard study.
A new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health suggests that consuming dark chocolate, but not milk chocolate, may be linked to a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D).
“Our findings suggest that not all chocolate is created equal,” said lead author Binkai Liu, doctoral student in the Department of Nutrition. “For anyone who loves chocolate, this is a reminder that making small choices, like choosing dark chocolate over milk chocolate, can make a positive difference to their health.”
The study will be published online Dec. 4 in The BMJ.
There is an existing body of research on the relationship between chocolate and T2D but findings have been inconsistent, and few studies have differentiated between chocolate subtypes (dark versus milk).
The researchers sought to fill this gap using data from the Nurses’ Health Studies I and II and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Over the course of 30+ years, 192,000 adult participants who were free of diabetes at the study’s outset reported on their food habits, including chocolate consumption, as well as their diabetes status and body weight. By the end of the study period, nearly 19,000 of the total participants reported being diagnosed with T2D. Of the nearly 112,000 who reported specifically on their dark and milk chocolate intake, nearly 5,000 were diagnosed with T2D.
Key Findings: Dark Chocolate Shows Promise
The study found that participants who consumed at least five ounces of any type of chocolate per week had a 10% lower risk of T2D compared to those who never or rarely consumed chocolate. Dark chocolate had an even bigger impact: Participants who consumed at least five servings of this chocolate per week showed a 21% lower risk of T2D. The researchers also observed a 3% reduction in risk for every serving of dark chocolate consumed per week. Consumption of milk chocolate, meanwhile, was not associated with reduced T2D risk. Increased consumption of milk chocolate, but not dark chocolate, was associated with long-term weight gain, a potential contributor to the development of T2D.
“We were surprised by the clear split between dark and milk chocolate’s impact on diabetes risk and long-term weight management,” said corresponding author Qi Sun, associate professor in the Departments of Nutrition and Epidemiology. “Even though dark and milk chocolate have similar levels of calories and saturated fat, it appears that the rich polyphenols in dark chocolate might offset the effects of saturated fat and sugar on weight gain and diabetes. It’s an intriguing difference that’s worth exploring more.”
The authors noted that participants’ chocolate consumption was low relative to previously recorded national averages and that the findings may not apply to individuals with very high chocolate consumption.
Reference:
“Chocolate intake and risk of type 2 diabetes: prospective cohort studies”
by Binkai Liu, Geng Zong, Lu Zhu, Yang Hu, JoAnn E Manson, Molin Wang, Eric B Rimm, Frank B Hu and Qi Sun, 4 December 2024, BMJ.
DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2023-078386
Other Harvard Chan authors included Lu Zhu, Yang Hu, JoAnn Manson, Molin Wang, Eric Rimm, and Frank Hu.
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (grants UM1 CA186107, P01 CA87969, R01 HL034594, U01 CA176726, U01 CA167552, R01 HL035464, R01 HL60712, R01 DK120870, R01 DK126698, R01 DK119268, U2C DK129670, R01 ES022981, and R21 AG070375).
EAT MORE CHOCOLATE!!!!!!!.....................
A lot of “dark chocolate” actually has very little dark chocolate. Actual dark chocolate is rather tart in flavor.
So, next time I order my milk chocolate - peanut clusters and/or some of those Turtles, can I start getting a Medical Discount? Maybe there are online Doctors, available 24)7 who will write me a Prescription for Chocolate!
Take 3 chocolate nut clusters 3 times a day, as needed for Sugar Fever.
P
Will Medicare pay for it?
Will United Healthcare pay for it?.......................
You have convinced me….
Maybe that has something to do with what happened to that Insurance Executive. A certain course of treatment was denied as “Not Covered, due to Pre-existing diagnosis” And somebody went bonkers! ///
I used to prepare dark chocolate like lutefisk. Open the package, and throw it out.
Then I developed a taste for it. The chocolate, not the fish.
Dark chocolate is my favorite... of course, the Hershey Nuggets are my favorite format and a good choice for the budget conscious, but Hershey miniatures are cheaper by the ounce than those, and the selection (at least in the mixtures) are the same. The Special Dark is available as a single big bar, as well as bags of nuggets in the regular grocery store as opposed to the warehouse clubs.
But dark choc. is bringing back my gout — been clean for 10 years now.
Trust the science!
> The study found that participants who consumed at least five ounces of any type of chocolate per week had a 10% lower risk of T2D compared to those who never or rarely consumed chocolate. <
Interesting. Thanks for posting, Red Badger.
But I wonder. Is it the chocolate itself that’s doing the trick, or is it something else that is reducing chocolate eaters’ diabetes risk?
For example, maybe they’re eating less sugary dark chocolate instead of very sugary candy bars. So it’s a sugar thing, not a chocolate thing.
My husband loved dark chocolate, the darker the better - often to the point of bitterness. I hate it, so he’d buy me milk chocolate. No wonder I fight my weight every day - and he never did.
They are a great many types of “dark chocolate”. Wish they were more specific about their definition of dark chocolate.
https://laurenslatest.com/dark-chocolate-cheesecake-recipe/
Dark Chocolate Covered Lutefisk!.........Problem solved!..............
Hersheys Special Dark was my introduction to dark chocolate. Since then I’ve found many many dark chocolates (thank you Trader Joe’s) and have learned that HSD is hands down the worst dark chocolate. And yet, I still love it.
Harvard is a real college now?
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