A new study has revealed the far-reaching effects of dark chocolate could even combat some of the world’s most prevalent lifestyle-driven chronic conditions. The study followed over 100,000 people delving into how chocolate habits across the US affected the risk of type 2 diabetes, specifically separating milk and dark chocolate.
The latter was found to have some startling benefits, cutting the risk of type 2 diabetes by 21% compared to the participants eating milk chocolate. An even more surprising figure was that those eating 5 or more servings of dark chocolate a week were found to have a 10% less risk of developing the disease than people who never or rarely ate any chocolate.
No signification associations were made between eating milk chocolate and developing type 2 diabetes. But delving further into the subject, researchers found each single serving of dark chocolate per week caused around 3% reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.
Milk chocolate, on the other hand, was only found to increase weight over time, a consequence not seen with its bitter counterpart. Participants who ate this specific type of chocolate also seemed to eat less healthy food and nutrients, meanwhile dark chocolate eaters had a higher rate of flavan-3-ols rich food like blueberries and tea.
It’s believed the effect dark chocolate had on type 2 diabetes risk is due to the high levels of flavanols it holds. These chemical compounds promote cardiometabolic health. However, its effect on type 2 diabetes risk has been controversial in the medical community as many studies did not differentiate between types of chocolate and the varying proportions of milk and sugar.
Researchers did note when the results were published in the medical journal BMJ: “Further randomized controlled trials are needed to replicate these findings and further explore the mechanisms.” Many studies have previously noted the potential and varied health benefits of dark chocolate.
Some chemical compounds in the chocolate are known to improve blood flow to the brain and interacts with several neurotransmitters to enhance cognitive performance and remove the free radicals that can cause memory loss and cognitive decline. A study earlier this year published in the JAMA Network Open revealed that dark chocolate along with other flavonoid-rich foods like red wine and berries, could cut your risk of dementia by 28%.