Oialla and Diabetes
Chocolate lowers the risk of getting diabetes

The number of diabetics in Denmark has increased over the last decade. The latest figures show that as many as 5.7% of the Danish population suffers from diabetes. We are Oialla believe it’s important to be a part of the solution, to stop this negative development.

A team of researchers has recently come up with a somewhat surprising bid for a cure for diabetes, namely chocolate. Chocolate is perceived by most people as an unhealthy temptation that should only be enjoyed to a limited extent. But it is scientifically proven that a regular and moderate intake of chocolate can have several beneficial health effects, especially in the case of dark chocolate.

Dark chocolate has the highest cocoa content, which means that it also contains larger amounts of antioxidants. These antioxidants are substances that can potentially prevent or reduce certain types of cell damage. Cell damage is seen in connection with several diseases, including diabetes. In addition to being found in chocolate, fruits and vegetables are also rich in antioxidants.

The new study was based on the chocolate intake of 1,153 people aged between 18-69 years. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether there is a link between chocolate intake and insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance is associated with type 2 diabetes and is a condition in which the body’s cells do not respond effectively to insulin. In addition, it was also investigated what effect chocolate has on the level of liver enzymes in the body, which is used as an indication of the function of the liver. The results of the study showed that the subjects who consumed an average of 24.8 grams of chocolate daily had a decreased insulin resistance and better liver enzyme levels, compared to the subjects who did not eat chocolate daily. Furthermore, it turned out that the effect was clearer in the trial participants who had the largest chocolate intake.

The researchers who conducted the study took into account many sociodemographic factors that could potentially affect the findings. These factors were, for example, age, gender, education and lifestyle. In connection with this, the researchers found that the trial participants who ate chocolate daily were more physically active, younger and had a higher education compared to those who did not eat chocolate daily.

Based on this finding, it is conceivable that the positive effect found in the study may also be due to the healthier lifestyle that the researchers found in those who ate chocolate daily.

By virtue of this, the positive effect may be due to an interplay between the subjects’ healthier lifestyle and their daily chocolate intake, both of which have been shown to lower the risk of various diseases, such as diabetes. The researchers behind the study reported that a daily chocolate intake could potentially reduce the risk of developing diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke. However, they emphasize the importance of the findings from their observational study being supported by more robust trials before implementation in the dietary recommendations.

Based on this, it is not entirely unrealistic that chocolate will one day be part of the Danish Health and Medicines Authority’s recommendations for a healthy diet. However, it should be emphasized that there are significant health differences between chocolate with natural cocoa content and processed chocolate, where the latter is higher in calories. Based on this, from a health perspective, it will be most appropriate to choose chocolate with natural cocoa content.

We can therefore recommend our 100% chocolate to people, who suffer from diabetes.