Dark chocolate vs milk chocolate: How the two varieties impact types 2 diabetes risk, study finds

A comfort food for many, chocolates are loved across the world for its unmatched taste and feel-good appeal. There is a reason why chocolates can get addictive. Cocoa has theobromine, a substance that boosts flow of chemicals called endorphins, that promote pleasurable feelings. A new study on chocolates has uncovered their unique impact on type 2 diabetes risk. While both dark and milk chocolates have added sugar, fat, and calories, they may have different impacts on health.
A new study has found that eating five tiny servings of dark chocolate each week can lower the risk of type 2 diabetes by 21%. The study says that the dark chocolate consumption benefits increased from zero to five servings.

How much to eat

It is important to eat 1 ounce at a time or the benefits may reverse. On the other hand, milk chocolate was found to be linked to obesity or excessive weight gain over time, which is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes development.
“Dark and milk chocolate have similar levels of added sugar, fat and calories, but the most important difference is that dark chocolate contains more cacao,” said lead author Binkai Liu, a doctoral student in the nutrition department of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Flavanols, the magic ingredient that controls inflammation

Cacao, which is the raw form of chocolate from the Theobroma cacao tree has very high levels of flavanols which is an antioxidant that reduces inflammation related to chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes.

Other findings of the study

The study, published in The BMJ journal, collated data from three long-term studies — the original Nurses’ Health Study, the Nurses’ Health Study II and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. People who took part in the study filled food questionnaires every four years over a 25-year period. Researchers then analysed dark chocolate, milk chocolate and total chocolate consumption among over 111,000 chocolate lovers.

Researchers found that those who ate at least five 1-ounce servings a week of any type of chocolate showed a significant 10% lower rate of type 2 diabetes compared with those who rarely or never ate chocolate.

However, when the types of chocolate were considered, the data showed that no significant reduction in diabetes risk was found when consuming milk chocolate.
However, people who had at least five servings a week of dark chocolate, displayed a significant 21% lower risk of type 2 diabetes and did not experience the long-term weight gain seen with milk chocolate.
Chocolate be it dark or milk should be eaten in moderation to reap its benefits. However, dark chocolate is better for blood sugar control and reducing risk of diabetes, and must be preferred to milk chocolate.
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