A sweet treat might just be the secret to better health. New research reveals that indulging in a small, daily dose of dark chocolate could help lower your risk of diabetes.
According to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, eating five servings of dark chocolate a week is associated with a reduction in the risk of type 2 diabetes.
"Our findings suggest that not all chocolate is created equal," lead author Binkai Liu, doctoral student in the Department of Nutrition, said in a statement. "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."
Chocolate contains high levels of flavanols (a natural compound found in fruits and vegetables) which have been shown to promote heart health and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
For the study, published in The BMJ, researchers set out to determine whether eating dark and milk chocolate – which have different cocoa, milk and sugar content – might have different impacts on the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Researchers combined data from three long-term US observational studies involving female nurses and male healthcare professionals, all of whom had no history of diabetes, heart disease or cancer at the time of their recruitment. Over the course of 30+ years, 192,000 participants 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 type 2 diabetes. Of the nearly 112,000 who reported specifically on their dark and milk chocolate intake, nearly 5,000 were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
The study found that participants who consumed at least five ounces of any type of chocolate per week had a 10% lower risk of diabetes compared to those who never or rarely consumed chocolate. Dark chocolate had an even bigger impact: Participants who consumed at least five servings per week showed a 21% lower risk of diabetes. The researchers also observed a 3% reduction in risk for every serving of dark chocolate consumed per week.
Meanwhile, consumption of milk chocolate was not associated with reduced diabetes risk. In fact, increased consumption of milk chocolate was actually associated with long-term weight gain, a potential contributor to the development of diabetes.
"We were surprised by the clear split between dark and milk chocolate’s impact on diabetes risk and long-term weight management," corresponding author Qi Sun, associate professor in the Departments of Nutrition and Epidemiology, said in a statement. "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."
The researchers noted that participants' chocolate consumption was relatively low compared to previously recorded national averages, and that the findings may not apply to individuals with very high chocolate consumption.