Eating dark chocolate daily lowers risk of diabetes.

Question

"Eating a few servings of dark chocolate each week has been found to reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

People who ate at least five servings of dark chocolate per week had a 21% lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes compared to people who ate dark chocolate rarely, if ever, according to a study published Wednesday in the British Medical Journal.

Eating more dark chocolate servings per week seemed to only help. Researchers found a 3% lower risk of Type 2 diabetes for each additional weekly serving of dark chocolate."

Comments

Hi! I really appreciate the thoroughness of this fact check. It’s impressive how your source not only referenced a study conducted by the British Medical Journal but also incorporated claims from the CDC to provide a well-rounded perspective. Citing such reputable sources adds significant credibility and ensures that the information is both accurate and reliable. Great work!

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After reading on this fact I found it very helpful and interesting. I feel like if you hear the word chocolate you wouldn't think it is healthy but after reading about it their are many things that go into dark chocolate that is good for you which is why it is healthy. After looking through a variety of different sources I agree that dark chocolate is healthy for lowering risk of diabetes and helps with muscle movements.

Answer 1

Yes, eating dark chocolate daily lowers the risk of diabetes. 

According to ABC News, “People who ate at least five servings of dark chocolate per week had a 21% lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes compared to people who ate dark chocolate rarely, if ever, according to a study published Wednesday in the British Medical Journal. 

Eating more dark cholate servings per week seemed to only help. Researchers found a 3% lower risk of Type 2 diabetes for each additional weekly serving of dark chocolate”. 

https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Wellness/daily-dose-dark-chocolate-lower-diabetes-risk-study/story?id=116498900#:~:text=People%20who%20ate%20at%20least,in%20the%20British%20Medical%20Journal.

Comments

Hi! I think your fact check is super useful, however I think it could be even more helpful if you used a different source than the one already used in the claim! In addition, I think going a bit more in depth than just repeating the orginal claim might be beneficial as well.

Answer 2

The claim that eating dark chocolate daily lowers the risk of diabetes has some support but requires moderation and context. Dark chocolate is rich in flavonoids, which can improve insulin sensitivity and reduce inflammation, potentially lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes. studies suggest that consuming small amounts of high-cocoa dark chocolate regularly may have protective effects, but excessive consumption can negate benefits due to added sugars and calories.

 For example, research indicates that moderate intake (a few times a week) is associated with a reduced diabetes risk. 

https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/04/health/dark-chocolate-type-2-diabetes-wellness/index.html

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/dark-chocolate-may-lower-diabetes-risk

Comments

Your response clearly and briefly describes how the claim needs more context, but also touches on the possible benefits dark chocolate has with lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes. The claim could be true, it just needs more information to back it up.

Answer 3

The claim that eating dark chocolate daily reduces the risk of diabetes has a bit of support backing it up, however I feel that it requires more context and deliberation. Firstly, the source listed in the initial claim is from Good Morning America, which is not the most trustable source of information, especially when it comes to scientific findings in relation to the health of millions of people. However, there is a link to the original Journal publication from the study included within the GMA article, where information from three studies was compiled in order to reach their conclusions over the impacts of chocolate intake on type 2 diabetes. It is important to note that, even in this publication, it is stated that further studies need to be done to confirm the information in the study, as "associations between chocolate consumption and risk of T2D remain controversial owing to inconsistent findings in observational studies." It is also important to note that some of the data collected by any of the three studies compiled by this publication is nearly 40 years old, with two beginning in 1986 and the other beginning in 1987. A 2022 publication, detailing a study done by three researchers from the University of British Columbia, discussed the results of the consumption of sugar-free or conventional dark chocolate on lower blood glucose within adults with diabetes. Within this study, they found that eating sugar-free dark chocolate, led to a lower blood glucose as compared to that of conventional dark chocolate, however longer-term effects still require further determination. Dark chocolate could still have an effect over the blood glucose levels of individuals with diabetes, especially as the level, or amount, of sugar and/or milk contained within dark chocolates varies. 

This is not to completely disregard any of the health effects dark chocolate can have, as it truly can aid with insulin sensitivity, improve vascular function, serves as an antioxidant, and can act in several more roles. It is incredibly beneficial, and is a great addition to one's diet. However, there is not enough information on the long-term effects of dark chocolate consumption in relation to the prevention of diabetes or aiding those with diabetes, especially in the amounts this claim promotes. 

Sources:

https://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj-2023-078386

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/11786388221076962

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Arvind-Singh-21/post/Do_you_like_dark_Chocolate_Is_it_harmful_to_the_body/attachment/5b648bf74cde265cb653bcb5/AS%3A655588992229380%401533316004363/download/1.pdf

Answer 4

According to Katie Kindelan, people who consumed at least five servings of dark chocolate per week had a 21% lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes compared to those who rarely ate dark chocolate. The researchers explained that although dark chocolate contains sugar and saturated fats, its "rich polyphenols" help counterbalance these ingredients and their impact on weight gain. Additionally, the Harvard School of Public Health supports these findings, noting that participants who ate five servings of dark chocolate weekly had a 21% lower risk of Type 2 diabetes. The study also found that for each additional serving of dark chocolate consumed per week, the risk of developing the disease decreased by 3%. 

https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/eating-dark-chocolate-linked-with-reduced-risk-of-type-2-diabetes/#:~:text=Dark%20chocolate%20had%20an%20even,dark%20chocolate%20consumed%20per%20week.

Answer 5

This claim is true. Dark Chocolate has been proven to have a relationship with decreased cases of type 2 diabetes.

 According to a study done by the Harvard Department of Nutrition "Participants who consumed at least five servings of this chocolate per week showed a 21% lower risk of T2D." Due to dark chocolates high polyphenols the high saturated fats and sugar within dark chocolate may be offset. Dark chocolate is also high in flavonoids which have positive health impacts. This evidence however is only for limited amounts of dark chocolate consumption. People who consume high volumes of dark chocolate may face increased risk for diabetes as high consumption can lead to weight gain and other diabetes risk factors. 

While there is an association between dark chocolate and decreased risk for diabetes, the actual relationship is not 100% proven and more research is needed. That being said dark chocolate compared to milk chocolate has less of a relationship to causing weight gain and other health problems that can cause increased risk for diabetes, as such dark chocolate is a healthier option for chocolate. 

Overall dark chocolate consumption has been linked to lower rates of type 2 diabetes, but more research is needed to cement the connection. 

Sources - 

https://www.health.com/study-dark-chocolate-diabetes-risk-8755080

https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/eating-dark-chocolate-linked-with-reduced-risk-of-type-2-diabetes/

https://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj-2023-078386

Answer 6

According to my research this actually is true. The website I chose, WebMD, wrote about how people who ate at least 5 servings of dark chocolate per week had a 21% reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes, compared to people who rarely or never ate chocolate. They also can sustain the dark chocolate and not gain weight, whereas those who eight milk chocolate saw a weight gain. Dark chocolate contains rich polyphenols which offset the effects of saturated fat and sugar. And I trust this website because they list their sources at the bottom and one of them is the Harvard School of Public Health. So I then went to the Harvard article that they were referring to. And of course they say the same thing, that eating dark chocolate does in fact lower the risk of diabetes. Specifically type 2. 

Sources: https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/eating-dark-chocolate-linked-with-reduced-risk-of-type-2-diabetes/

https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/news/20241205/dark-chocolate-sweet-way-reduce-diabetes-risk

Answer 7

Yes, this is factual, it can help prevent the development of type 2 diabetes. Therefore allowing your body to produce the normal amount of insulin throughout your life. There are other snacks that you can eat to have similar health benefits, such as apples, berries, melons, and other foods that are rich in antioxidants. Also, it is specifically dark chocolate because of the fewer additives than milk chocolate. But the main aspects of dark chocolate that are focused on to help prevent type 2 diabetes are the rich polyphenols which help break down saturated fats.

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/dark-chocolate-may-lower-diabetes-risk#Takeaway

https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/eating-dark-chocolate-linked-with-reduced-risk-of-type-2-diabetes/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CEven%20though%20dark%20and%20milk,difference%20that's%20worth%20exploring%20more.%E2%80%9D

Answer 8

The claim that dark chocolate decreases the risk of Type 2 diabetes has The British Health Journal article(https://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj-2023-078386) as evidence backing it up but the abc articles claim is broad and lacks context. The British Health Journal compiles a couple of studies done on the effects of chocolate and they come from credible sources like https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9065374/. Basically what they found was that like the abc article that dark chocolate decreased the risk of Type 2 diabetes by 21%. Not only that but all chocolate decreased the risk by 10%. After analyzing the data they came to the conclusion that "Increased consumption of dark, but not milk, chocolate was associated with lower risk of T2D. Increased consumption of milk, but not dark, chocolate was associated with long term weight gain.". To be sure I found another credible source from (https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/eating-dark-chocolate-linked-with-reduced-risk-of-type-2-diabetes/#:~:text=Dark%20chocolate%20had%20an%20even,dark%20chocolate%20consumed%20per%20week.) and they also use the same evidence from the BMJ article.

Answer 9

" Participants who consumed at least five servings of this chocolate per week showed a 21% lower risk of T2D. The researchers also observed a 3% reduction in risk for every serving of dark chocolate consumed per week." 

This is from a study done by researchers at Harvard. So this claim is true, but don't get dark chocolate confused with milk chocolate. Research has shown that increased consumption of milk chocolate leads to long term weight gain and contributes to type 2 diabetes.

https://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj-2023-078386

https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/eating-dark-chocolate-linked-with-reduced-risk-of-type-2-diabetes/

Answer 10

I believe this claim is true, based off of a study conducted by Dr Binkai Liu of Harvard School of Public Health, the study was based off of 192,000 adults who were all free of diabetes over a 30+ year time span. The study focused on their food intake and habits (including their chocolate intake) their weight as well as the status of their diabetes. By the end of the study 19,000 of them had type two diabetes and of the original number of participants 112,000 of them spoke on their chocolate habits 5,000 of them were diagnosed with type two diabetes, overall of the participants that had chocolate at least once a week resulted in a 10% lower risk for diabetes on top of that those who had at least 5 servings of dark chocolate a week lowered their risk by 21%. In conclusion eating dark chocolate is proven to reduce the risk of type two diabetes however there is still a lot of external factors that can lead to type two diabetes. https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/eating-dark-chocolate-linked-with-reduced-risk-of-type-2-diabetes/