People who eat 5 servings per week of dark chocolate have a significantly lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to researchers at Harvard.
Dark chocolate may do a lot more than satisfy your sweet tooth.
A new study finds eating 5 servings of dark chocolate per week significantly lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes. But that benefit doesn’t extend to milk chocolate, researchers say.
They analyzed data from more than 192,000 healthy adults who reported on their eating habits, medical status and body weight over a 30-year period.
People who ate at least 5 one-ounce servings a week of any type of chocolate had 10% lower odds of type 2 diabetes, according to the results.
Dark chocolate alone had an even bigger impact, lowering the risk by 21% while milk chocolate had no real benefit and was only associated with long-term weight gain.
The authors say high levels of flavanols in dark chocolate might offset the effects of saturated fat and sugar on weight gain and other cardiometabolic diseases.
The lead author says these findings suggest “not all chocolate is created equal.” She says, “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.”
Clinical trials are needed to confirm the results.
Source: BMJ
Author Affiliations: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
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