Today I have a great tip to help manage blood sugar levels and beat type 2 diabetes: Chocolate to the rescue! In case you haven’t heard, cacao, the raw source of cocoa powder, is rich in polyphenols and flavanols that help your body beat inflammation to support insulin sensitivity and better metabolic health. Before you grab your favorite milk-chocolate dessert, read on for the details to make sure you grab the chocolate that actually works.
Studies of people over a long period of time have shown that eating dark chocolate in particular lowers the risk of getting type 2 diabetes. In one large USA study of 192,000 people there was a 21% decrease in risk of a T2D diagnosis for people that ate at least 5 servings of dark chocolate per week, compared to those that didn’t eat any. The cocoa products seem to help endothelial cell function. Study details are here: https://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj-2023-078386
In a 2008 study, volunteers were given 100-grams (3.5 oz) of dark chocolate or white chocolate (without the beneficial flavanols) for 15 days. Results showed lower blood pressure and better insulin function from the dark chocolate. More details here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18716168/
A 2012 study found that eating 100g of flavanol-rich dark chocolate daily for three days improved blood vessel function and reduced stress markers in 12 healthy volunteers, compared to flavanol-free white chocolate. Then, when the volunteers took a glucose test, the white chocolate spiked blood sugar, led to worse blood vessel function and oxidative stress, but dark chocolate prevented these effects. See details here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22851734/
Some treatments are hard to implement, but this one? Not so bad. Just eat between 1 and 3 ounces of dark chocolate every day, or at least 5 times a week. Watch out for the sugar though. Find the chocolate bars with at least 70% cocoa in them to maximize the benefits and minimize added sugars. There are 80%, 85%, even 90% dark chocolate bars, though I think those ones, personally, are a bit too bitter for me to enjoy well. But you might go for higher than 70%. To me that is the “sweet” spot. And there are stevia and erythritol-sweetened alternatives, too, which don’t add any sugar to spike your blood glucose levels. Guilt-free delight indeed!
And for baking or for beverages, Hershey’s Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder is an excellent choice. And Bakers Chocolate Squares, for baking (no surprise there), are also an excellent, unprocessed chocolate source.
So, there you have it. Dark chocolate to the rescue. It won’t cure your diabetes, but it will be beneficial even while you enjoy a treat.
