WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Researchers from the National Institutes of Health-funded study found that eating dark chocolate could lower the risk of type 2 diabetes by 21 percent.
'Our findings suggest that not all chocolate is created equal,' Binkai Liu, a doctoral student at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said.
'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, published in The BMJ, included over three decades of data of nurses and healthcare workers in the U.S. The total 192,000 participants were diabetes-free when they initially reported about their food habits.
The participants were followed-up with food frequency questionnaires every four years, evaluating the link between type 2 diabetes and total chocolate consumption, and type of chocolate.
At the end of the study period, around 19,000 were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and of the roughly 112,000 participants who specified their dark and milk chocolate intake, nearly 5,000 were diagnosed with the condition.
'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, an associate professor in the Departments of Nutrition and Epidemiology, said.
'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.'
Researchers noted that those who consumed a one ounce serving, or 28.3 grams, at least five times a week, had 10 percent less chance of developing type 2 diabetes compared with those who never or rarely ate chocolate.
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