A recent study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health suggests that consuming dark chocolate over milk chocolate may be associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D). The research was conducted over 30+ years with 192,000 adult participants and found that those who consumed at least five ounces of chocolate per week had a 10% lower risk of T2D. Dark chocolate, in particular, showed an even more significant impact of a 21% risk reduction.
Participants who ate at least five servings of dark chocolate per week experienced a 3% reduction in T2D risk per serving, while milk chocolate consumption showed no such benefit. Interestingly, the researchers discovered that increased milk chocolate consumption was associated with long-term weight gain, a potential contributor to diabetes development. The study’s lead author, Binkai Liu, emphasized that not all chocolate is created equal, so making small choices like selecting dark chocolate over milk chocolate could potentially make a positive difference to one’s health.
Image from iStock by Natalia Marna.