Consumption of at least five servings of dark chocolate a week (one serving is equal to a standard chocolate bar/pack or 1 oz) compared with rare consumption was significantly associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes in a long-term U.S. study; increased consumption of milk chocolate, however, was associated with increased weight gain.
The global prevalence of type 2 diabetes has increased noticeably over the past few decades, with an estimated 463 million people affected worldwide in 2019 and projected to increase to 700 million by 2045.
Type 2 diabetes is a multifactorial disease characterized by insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion, which can lead to numerous severe complications such as cardiovascular disease, renal failure, and loss of vision.
A growing body of research has highlighted the importance of lifestyle factors, including healthy diets, in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes.
Higher consumption of total dietary flavonoids, as well as specific flavonoid subclasses, has been associated with a decreased type 2 diabetes risk.
In randomized controlled trials, these flavonoids exerted antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and vasodilatory effects that might confer cardiometabolic benefits and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, although data were not consistent.
Chocolate, derived from the beans of the cacao tree (Theobroma cacao), is among foods with the highest flavanol content and is a popular snack globally.
However, the association between chocolate consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes remains controversial owning to inconsistent findings in observational studies.
For the new research, Binkai Liu from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and colleagues combined data from three long-term U.S. observational studies of female nurses and male healthcare professionals with no history of diabetes, heart disease or cancer when they were recruited.
Using food frequency questionnaires completed every four years, they…
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