Dark Chocolate Linked to 21% Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Major Study

New research highlights dark chocolate's potential health benefits, contrasting its effects with milk chocolate, which showed no similar advantages.

A study published in The BMJ found that consuming at least five servings of dark chocolate per week was associated with a 21% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Milk chocolate consumption, by contrast, was linked to long-term weight gain, a known risk factor for type 2 diabetes, and showed no protective effects.
The study tracked over 192,000 participants across three decades, analyzing dietary habits and health outcomes, with nearly 19,000 cases of type 2 diabetes recorded.
Researchers attribute dark chocolate's benefits to its high levels of flavanols, compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may improve insulin sensitivity.
Experts caution that the findings, based on observational data, do not establish causation and further randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm the results.