Daily Chocolates Can Reduce Heart Disease and Diabetes Risk

Chocolates Everyday?

A new study may result in many physicians recommending everyday consumption of small quantities of dark chocolate. This is because a recent study has shown that chocolate may play a role in insulin resistance and even in cardiometabolic problems. This study was published in the British Journal of Nutrition.

This study showed that including even a small quantity of chocolate every day could help prevent diabetes and insulin resistance. These are the research findings from the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), the University of Warwick Medical School, the University of South Australia and the University of Maine.

Data was obtained from 1,153 human subjects aged 18-69 years old who had been part of the Observation of Cardiovascular Risk in Luxembourg (ORISCAV-LUX) study. Analysis of the data revealed that those who ate 100 g of chocolate a day which is identical to a bar had reduced insulin resistance and normalization of liver enzymes. Insulin sensitivity is a known risk factor to cardiovascular problems.

The Benefits of Chocolate

The researchers thought that chocolate consumption would have a helpful result on insulin sensitivity and liver enzymes and for this reason determined to analyse a countrywide pattern of adults, thinking of subculture and dietary motives, together with the simultaneous consumption of tea and coffee. This is on account that each drink could also be high in polyphenol, the substance which can provide chocolate with its priceless cardiometabolic effects.

One of the researchers commented, “Given the growing body of evidence, including our own study, cocoa-based products may represent an additional dietary recommendation to improve cardio-metabolic health; however, observational results need to be supported by robust trial evidence.”

He further adds, “Potential applications of this knowledge include recommendations by healthcare professionals to encourage individuals to consume a wide range of phytochemical-rich foods, which can include dark chocolate in moderate amounts. However, it is important to differentiate between the natural product cocoa and the processed product chocolate, which is an energy-dense food. Therefore, physical activity, diet and other lifestyle factors must be carefully balanced to avoid detrimental weight gain over time.”

This study showed that more than 80% of participants claimed to eat an average of 24.8 grams of chocolate a day. The researchers also observed that people who claimed to consume chocolate had been more youthful, more active and had greater educational attainments than individuals who claimed to not eat chocolate on an everyday basis.

The principal investigator of the study commented, “It is also possible that chocolate consumption may represent an overall marker for a cluster of favourable socio-demographic profiles, healthier lifestyle behaviours and better health status. This could explain, at least in part, the observed inverse associations with insulin and liver biomarkers.”

The paper concluded that additional studies and reports should be done to realize the function of chocolate in insulin resistance and cardiometabolic disorders.

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