Diabetics need to be very careful about their diet and constantly monitor their blood sugar levels to ensure they remain stable. In short terms, yes, diabetics can actually enjoy a chocolate-y treat every now and then, and can include it as part of their lives as long as they stick to a neat rule: dark chocolate is your allied (sorry milk-chocolate fans!). The old myth that gave us the question can diabetics eat chocolate finally gets the right answer, and one that is positive in may ways.
One of the most widely believed myths about people with type 2 diabetes is that you may be forced to say goodbye to all the sweets and after-dinner treats. Moderation is key for people managing their diabetes and including dessert as part of their meals. Researchers from Mexico investigated the brain’s oscillations (ability to make an electrical output that helps the brain send messages needed for cognition, memory, perception, and behavior) when people ate dark chocolate.
A study found that participants who ate dark chocolate for eight weeks noticed a significant difference in fasting blood sugar while the participants who ate white chocolate had heeded no benefits at all. Another study revealed that eating chocolate two or more times per week lowered the risk of having calcified plaque in the arteries by 32%. Eating chocolate less frequently had no effect . Nitric oxide sends signals to the arteries to cool down (relax) thus lowering high blood pressure.
Lowering blood pressure and bad cholesterol are two risk factors that can lead to heart disease. This increases the amount of sugar or glucose in the bloodstream, which can lead to hypertension, stroke, heart attack, loss of eyesight, kidney damage and peripheral vascular disease. Indeed, this can lead to unknown circumstances. Still, can you eat chocolate with type 2 diabetes?
The important thing when choosing what type is best for you is always sticking to dark chocolate, that means anything that contains 50% or more cocoa and the lowest amount of sugar. This means that, no it will never be okay to have dessert after every single meal, but rather it allows for you to still be able to enjoy every now and then without compromising your health, putting your glucose levels through the roof, or making yourself sick.
However, the presence of sugar means that hot chocolate consumption should be limited as part of a healthy diet. If, however, you eat chocolate after a workout, your chances to get back the lost nutrients due to exercising is way less. Was it the dark chocolate’s heart-helping nutrients that did the trick? Dark chocolate is full of minerals like copper, iron, manganese and magnesium, to name a few.
Vox recently published a detailed article interrogating the prevailing notion of dark chocolate as a miracle “safe food.” In the article, journalist Julia Belluz took a look at 100 Mars-funded (yes, the makers of the popular chocolate bars) health studies that hinted at the health benefits of consuming cocoa- and chocolate-rich food items. You can also choose dark chocolate that is at least 70% cocoa to get the most health benefits.
Eating cocoa and cocoa-containing foods in moderation have been linked to improved heart health. In addition to eating a nutritious diet, it is also important to drink plenty of water every day. This is because our bodies can shed up to 40,000 skin cells each day! The result is skin better-protected from the UV radiation in sunlight. Manganese, for example, supports the production of collagen, a protein that helps keep skin looking young and healthy.
This helps improve heart function. By managing them, the risk of heart disease decreases. In addition to helping lower blood pressure, cocoa-derived flavanols may also lower the risk of blood clots and bad cholesterol. High levels of antioxidants in dark chocolate may protect your skin from the powerful UV rays emitted by the sun. But when it comes to dark chocolate, eating it in moderation may help you lower your blood sugar level.
Thankfully, medical research has shown that including diabetic desserts on your life is a good way to maintain that healthy level of good nutrition but still satisfying your sweet tooth, even if it’s moderately. On the other hand, if you eat dark chocolate, you might feel an energy spike or even experience trouble falling asleep if you eat it too close to your bedtime.
Good news: If you feel better after eating dark chocolate, there’s a scientific reason for that. Milk chocolate also has more fats and sugars than dark chocolate and contains less cocoa than dark chocolate. According to most everyone on the Internet, the Swiss consume more chocolate than anyone else on the planet, claiming they ingest some 22 to 26 pounds per year (the New York Times quotes 24 pounds/11 kg).