Dark chocolate tied to lower diabetes risk

The findings were based on the diets of about 192,000 US adults over 34 years

Dark chocolate
The findings, published in the journal BMJ, found no protection from milk chocolate
(Image credit: Anastassia Laurent / iStock / Getty Images Plus)

What happened

People who regularly eat dark chocolate have a significantly reduced risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, researchers reported Wednesday in the journal BMJ. The findings, based on the diets of about 192,000 U.S. adults over 34 years, found no diabetes protection from milk chocolate and a higher risk of weight gain.

Who said what

Study participants who ate at least five one-ounce servings of dark chocolate a week had a 21% lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes — but "we can't say for certain that eating dark chocolate will lower your risk," said co-author Binkai Liu, at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. "We can say that eating it is associated with a lower risk."

Still, "at least three other large studies have found that eating chocolate is associated with a reduced likelihood of developing Type 2 diabetes," heart disease and high blood pressure, The Washington Post said. Liu's team posited that's because dark chocolate — unlike milk chocolate — contains more than 50% flavonoid-rich cocoa.

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What next?

Dark chocolate may not be a "magic bullet" against diabetes, study lead investigator Qi Sun, also at Harvard, said to The New York Times. But the findings suggest a little bit, with 70% cocoa, can be part of a healthy diet.

Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.