Dark chocolate is thought to have many health benefits – from preventing heart disease to lowering blood pressure. Now, a new study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) suggests that eating dark chocolate can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Scientists and medical experts believe that this could be significant because diabetes has been on the rise since the 1990s.
According to the World Health Organization's latest data on diabetes, the number of people living with type 1 or 2 diabetes worldwide will quadruple to 830 million between 1990 and 2022, with the majority of those suffering from type 2.
The consequences of this can be obvious: Diabetes can cause blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, stroke and require amputation.
So what has this latest research revealed about dark chocolate and type 2 diabetes?
What is the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes?
Although type 1 and type 2 diabetes share a name, there are major differences between how each of these chronic conditions in the body regulates blood sugar, known as glucose.
Type 1 diabetes occurs when the immune system malfunctions and launches an autoimmune response against its own healthy cells. This occurs when the immune system mistakenly identifies these healthy cells as a foreign threat to the body, leading to the destruction of the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. As a result, the body loses its ability to control blood sugar levels effectively.
It is not yet clear how type 1 diabetes begins but many studies point to a combination of individual genes and environmental triggers such as certain viruses that may trigger an autoimmune response.
According to a 2023 study published by several Greek medical institutions, 8.4 million people worldwide were suffering from type 1 diabetes in 2021. By 2040, the number of people living with type 1 diabetes worldwide is expected to be between 13.5 and 17.4 million.
People diagnosed with type 2 diabetes develop insulin resistance, a condition that causes their bodies to continue to produce insulin but not be able to use it properly. This dysfunction of insulin prevents proper control of blood sugar levels.
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease that develops gradually over several years. It is strongly associated with lifestyle factors, especially physical inactivity and obesity. Although it can occur at any age, this type of diabetes is more common in older people.
What does research on dark chocolate and type 2 diabetes reveal?
About 192,000 adults in the US participated in three studies over 34 years conducted by Harvard researchers – the Nurses' Health Studies I and II and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.
Not all subjects had type 2 diabetes at the start of the study. Participants reported their diabetes status (if any), eating habits, average weight and chocolate consumption over time.
People who regularly eat dark chocolate – especially five servings or more per week – experienced a 21 percent reduction in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The risk was measured by comparing the incidence of type 2 diabetes between participants who ate different amounts of chocolate.
Throughout the study period, approximately 19,000 people who did not have diabetes were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
Among the nearly 112,000 participants who reported eating chocolate, only 5,000 went on to develop type 2 diabetes, however.
The study revealed that while dark chocolate had beneficial effects, other types of chocolate did not.
“Increased consumption of dark milk, but not milk, chocolate was associated with a lower risk of T2D [type 2 diabetes]. “Increased consumption of milk, but not dark, chocolate was associated with long-term weight gain,” said a report of three studies.
“Our findings suggest that not all chocolate is created equal,” lead researcher Binkai Liu, a doctoral student in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard, said in a statement.
“For anyone who loves chocolate, this is a reminder that small choices, like choosing dark chocolate over milk chocolate, can make a positive difference in their health.”
Why is dark chocolate good for us?
Dark chocolate has been found to offer many health benefits, mainly due to its rich concentration of flavonoids, especially flavanols. These are the powerful antioxidants found in cocoa solids and are key to understanding the scientific basis for dark chocolate's positive health effects.
According to research, the flavanols in dark chocolate help improve heart health by improving blood flow and lowering blood pressure.
“Chocolate contains high levels of flavanols, which promote cardiometabolic health and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D), as shown in randomized controlled trials,” the research report found.
Additionally, these compounds have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol levels while increasing HDL cholesterol, promoting a healthy lipid profile.
HDL, known as “good cholesterol”, collects excess cholesterol in the blood and tissues, while LDL, known as “bad cholesterol” can accumulate on artery walls, forming plaque that narrows and hardens the arteries. In some cases, this can cause atherosclerosis, a hardening of the blood vessels, which can lead to coronary artery disease, heart disease, stroke, and poor blood flow to the organs.
The antioxidant properties of dark chocolate also play a role in fighting oxidative stress and inflammation in the body. This may reduce the risk of chronic diseases and support overall cellular health. In addition, research shows that the flavanols in dark chocolate may improve cognitive function and mood, possibly due to their effect on cerebral blood flow and neurotransmitter activity.
“Higher consumption of whole-food flavonoids, as well as specific classes of flavonoids, has been associated with a reduced risk of T2D. [type 2 diabetes]. In randomized controlled trials, these flavonoids exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and vasodilatory effects that may provide cardiometabolic benefits and reduce the risk of T2D. [type 2 diabetes],” wrote the authors of the report.
Dark chocolate is also rich in minerals such as iron, magnesium and zinc, further enhancing its nutritional value. Research suggests that these minerals support a variety of body functions, from oxygen transport to enzyme activity and immune regulation.
The health benefits are most pronounced in dark chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa solids – usually 70 percent or more. As the cocoa content increases, so does the concentration of beneficial compounds, while high sugar content tends to decrease them.
“Although dark and milk chocolate have similar levels of calories and saturated fat, it appears that the polyphenols rich in dark chocolate may offset the effects of saturated fat and sugar on weight gain and diabetes. It's an interesting difference that deserves further investigation,” said report author Qi Sun, an associate professor in the Department of Nutrition and Disease Epidemiology, in a statement.
What else can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes?
In a study conducted in Brazil this year, researchers from the Department of Internal Medicine at the State University of Rio de Janeiro and the Lagoa Federal Hospital of Rio de Janeiro found that sticking to a plant-based diet not only reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, but also reduces our carbon footprint.
“A plant-based diet may be important not only to prevent T2DM [Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus – the scientific name for diabetes] and obesity and developing other cardiovascular risk factors (high blood pressure and dyslipidemia), but also reducing the impact on the environment, “said the authors of the study. “A sustainable diet where animal products, especially red meat and milk/dairy products, are replaced by plant products, has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
In general, according to research, a diet focused on fiber-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains can help reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
A 2020 study coordinated by the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge found that eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 50 percent.
“This study shows that even a small increase in fruit and vegetable consumption can help prevent type 2 diabetes, as indicated by biomarkers of the intention of consumption, regardless of whether the increase is among people with a low or high intake at the beginning,” said the authors.
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