Eating This Type of Chocolate Can Reduce the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Chocolate (Pexels/Pixabay)

JAKARTA - For many people, chocolate is a sweet snack that is hard to resist. Although many people enjoy it for its taste and texture, the idea that chocolate can provide health benefits may sound unreasonable, especially when associated with preventing diabetes.

Did you know that certain types of chocolate can provide health benefits, including reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes? Recent research shows that dark chocolate can maintain health.

However, a recent study reveals the potential health benefits of dark chocolate. Research shows that individuals who routinely choose dark chocolate over milk chocolate can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by up to 21%.

According to a study conducted by researchers from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, higher consumption of dark chocolate, not milk chocolate, is associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Conversely, higher consumption of milk chocolate is associated with long-term weight gain. Further randomized controlled trials are needed to replicate these findings and explore the underlying mechanisms.

"We were surprised by the clear differences between the effects of dark and milk chocolate on diabetes risk and long-term weight management long," said Qi Sun, professor in the Department of Nutrition and Epidemiology and lead author of the study, quoted by VOI from the NDTV page on Wednesday, December 11, 2024.

"Although dark and milk chocolate have similar levels of calories and saturated fat, it appears that the rich polyphenols found in dark chocolate can offset the effects of saturated fat and sugar on weight gain and diabetes risk. This is an interesting difference that needs to be explored further." he added.

The study authors also emphasize that these findings may not apply to people who consume large amounts of chocolate. Given the relatively low chocolate intake of study participants.