THURSDAY, Dec. 5, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Increased consumption of dark chocolate, but not milk chocolate, is associated with a reduced risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D), according to a study published online Dec. 4 in The BMJ.

Binkai Liu, from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, and colleagues examined the association between dark, milk, and total chocolate consumption and the risk for T2D in three U.S. cohorts. A total of 192,208 participants without T2D, cardiovascular disease, or cancer were included at study baseline for total chocolate analyses. The analysis for risk for T2D by intake of chocolate subtypes included 111,654 participants.

The researchers found that 18,862 people with incident T2D were identified in the primary analysis for total chocolate during 4,829,175 person-years of follow-up. Compared with those who never or rarely consumed chocolate, participants consuming five or more servings/week of any chocolate had a significant 10 percent lower rate of T2D after adjustment for personal, lifestyle, and dietary risk factors. Overall, 4,771 people with incident T2D were identified in analyses by chocolate subtype. A significant 21 percent lower risk for T2D was seen for those who consumed five or more servings/week of dark chocolate, while there were no significant associations seen for milk chocolate consumption. There was a linear dose-response association observed between intake of dark chocolate and risk for T2D, with a 3 percent risk reduction for each serving/week of dark chocolate.

“For anyone who loves chocolate, this is a reminder that making small choices, like choosing dark chocolate over milk chocolate, can make a positive difference to their health,” Liu said in a statement.

Two authors disclosed ties to nutrition companies, including Mars Edge.

Abstract/Full Text

Copyright © 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.