A Piece of Chocolate a Day Keeps the Doctor Away
- Partner Medical
- Jan 17
- 2 min read
The TL;DR
Eating dark chocolate may lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The Good News
The British Medical Journal (BMJ) recently published a study showing that adults who regularly consumed dark chocolate had a lower risk of developing diabetes. Yes, you read that right — dark chocolate might actually be good for you.
Delicious food that’s also good for you? It’s practically a unicorn. When it happens, it’s worth celebrating.
The Details
The study followed over 100,000 adults without diabetes for a year, tracking their chocolate consumption and health outcomes. The researchers found that participants who ate at least five servings of dark chocolate per week had a 21% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Unfortunately for milk chocolate fans, the study didn’t deliver the same good news. Milk chocolate consumption didn’t reduce diabetes risk and was linked to weight gain. Sorry, milk chocolate lovers, but this is a dark chocolate victory.
Background on Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is incredibly common in the U.S., affecting about 14% of adults. It develops from two main factors:
Genetics — If someone in your family has diabetes, your risk is higher.
Lifestyle — Diets high in sugar (think soda, candy, and carb-heavy foods) and lack of exercise (less than 30 minutes a day) increase your risk.
Once diagnosed, treatment often requires lifelong changes, starting with strict diet and exercise. Many patients eventually need medications like metformin, insulin, or GLP-1 receptor agonists (e.g., Ozempic).
Managing diabetes is critical to reducing risks of complications, including heart disease, strokes, dementia, kidney disease, amputations, and blindness.
Additional Thoughts
Back to the good stuff: chocolate! Dark chocolate’s potential to lower diabetes risk isn’t as shocking as it sounds. It’s long been known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, not to mention its other health perks.
It’s also possible that regular dark chocolate eaters are simply making smarter dessert choices. By choosing dark chocolate over sugary cakes or cookies, they’re likely reducing their overall sugar intake, which might explain some of the benefits.
Conclusion
This study makes a strong, evidence-based argument that eating dark chocolate can be a delicious and health-conscious decision.
This is not to say you should start blending chocolate milkshakes though (tempting, I know). Instead, swapping calorie-laden desserts like ice cream, cookies, or cake for a few pieces of dark chocolate after dinner could be a smart move for your health.
So go ahead — indulge in a square (or two) of the dark stuff. Your sweet tooth and your health will thank you.
