Dark chocolate reduces risk of type 2 diabetes

A US cohort study found that milk chocolate consumption was associated with weight gain, while dark chocolate had a potential role in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.

study: Chocolate intake and risk of type 2 diabetes: a prospective cohort study. Image credit: Ahmet Misirligul/Shutterstock.com

In a recent study published in BMJresearchers investigated the association between total intake of milk and dark chocolate and the risk of: have type 2 diabetes (T2D) across three cohorts in the United States.

Their findings show that consumption of dark chocolate may reduce the risk of developing T2D, while milk chocolate has no effect on the risk of T2D but is associated with weight gain.

background

Globally, the prevalence of T2D is rapidly increasing. Researchers estimate that 463 million people were affected in 2019, and that number is expected to rise to 700 million by 2045.

This condition is associated with insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion and often leads to complications such as vision loss, kidney failure, and heart disease.

Experts have shown that lifestyle factors, especially a healthy diet, play an important role in preventing T2D and managing the disease in people who already have T2D.

When flavonoids are ingested in large amounts from foods such as chocolate, they have vasodilatory, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory Benefits that can improve cardiometabolic health.

About research

In this study, researchers found that consuming different forms of chocolate, such as white, milk, and dark, with different milk, sugar, and cocoa contents, was associated with a lower risk of developing T2D and a well-established risk of weight loss. We investigated whether it would affect change. T2D coefficient.

The three cohorts consisted of 121,700 women in 1976, 116,340 women in 1989, and 51,529 men in 1986. Persons with cancer, high energy intake, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and those with missing data were excluded from the dataset.

Diet, including chocolate intake, was assessed every 4 years using a validated questionnaire and used to calculate nutrient intake.

T2D incidence is based on self-reported data ascertained using medical records and other questionnaires. Symptoms of the condition, intake of hypoglycemic drugs, and fasting blood glucose levels were used for diagnosis.

Weight was self-reported and subsequently verified, and 4-year weight change between survey rounds was calculated.

The researchers used a statistical model to calculate the risk of developing T2D, adjusting the analysis to account for family history of the disease, physical activity, body mass index (BMI), and ethnicity. They also conducted analyzes separately for different subgroups and used sensitivity tests to validate their results.

Additional analyzes examined the relationship between chocolate intake and weight change (adjusting for baseline BMI, energy intake, physical activity ethnicity, and age).

Survey results

The study included 192,208 people from three cohorts, with most participants being non-Hispanic white. We found that the more chocolate you consumed, the more added sugar you consumed, saturating you and increasing your overall energy.

Dark chocolate intake was positively correlated with improved diet quality, including increased intake of flavonoids, vegetables, and fruits. Conversely, milk chocolate intake is correlated with higher intakes of sugar and saturated fat, and overall lower diet-related choices.

Overall, people who consumed five or more cups of chocolate each week had a 10% lower risk of developing T2D, with each additional cup reducing their risk by 1%.

For dark chocolate, consuming five or more servings per week lowered the risk of T2D by 21%, indicating a significant linear decrease.

In subgroup analysis, higher dietary quality increased the association between dark chocolate intake and T2D risk, with the risk reduction increasing to 34% for those eating a high-quality diet.

People with no family history of the condition and those who were more physically active, male, or younger were also more likely to experience the benefits of dark chocolate consumption.

Milk chocolate consumption was not significantly associated with risk of T2D, but did lead to increased weight gain. Obese people gained more weight with milk chocolate consumption than those with a lower BMI.

conclusion

The results of this study are consistent with previous research, showing that overall chocolate intake is associated with a lower risk of T2D. Dark chocolate may have additional benefits because it contains higher levels of cocoa and healthy compounds and is lower in sugar compared to milk chocolate.

These compounds, such as epicatechin, inflammationreduce oxidative stress, increase glucose metabolism, and cause improvement in insulin sensitivity.

Although this study differentiated between different types of chocolate and looked at long-term health effects, the results cannot be generalized to non-white populations.

Notably, chocolate consumption among the study cohort was lower than the national average. Further research with more diverse groups is needed to validate these findings.