Chocolaty Affair

Findings published in the British Journal of Nutrition states that consumption of small amount of chocolate each day may help prevent diabetes and insulin resistance. Researchers involved in this study analysed 1,153 people in the age group of 18-69 wherein they discovered that those who ate 100 gram of chocolate daily had reduced insulin resistance and improved liver enzymes.

Given its high fat and sugar content, chocolate is meant to be enjoyed from time to time. However, several studies suggest that regular and moderate chocolate consumption yields significant health benefits. Scientists therefore hypothesised that chocolate consumption may have a beneficial effect on insulin sensitivity and liver enzymes. Hence, they decided to analyse a national sample of adults, taking into account their age, sex, lifestyle, education and dietary factors, including the simultaneous consumption of tea and coffee.

Tea and coffee were considered because both drinks can be high in polyphenol, the substance which provides chocolate with its beneficial cardiometabolic effects. In the study it was found that 81.8% participants claimed to consume 24.8 grams of chocolate on an average, on an everyday basis. When compared to participants who did not eat chocolate daily, researchers found that those who ate had reduced insulin resistance and improved liver enzyme levels. It was also found that those who claimed to eat chocolate were younger, more physically active and had higher levels of education than those who did not.