Chocolate and Blood Sugar Levels
As a long-time type-2 diabetic, accustomed as I am to avoiding candies and other sweet foods, delicious and tempting as they are, who would have thought I would be championing the merits of chocolate – in fact, I can hardly believe it myself even though I want to.
And what makes me think that chocolate is good for my diabetes?
From recent research carried out in the U.K. it appears that chocolate really is beneficial. Published on 29 August, 2011 in the British Medical Journal were the results and conclusions of a meta-analysis, the objective of which was to evaluate the association of chocolate consumption with the risk of developing cardiometabolic disorders.
A meta-analysis, as its name implies, is a review and analysis of the results of earlier relevant studies carried out on the given subject. Cardiometabolic disorders include heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, among others. In this particular meta-analysis, data was derived from seven previous studies involving a combined 114,009 participants.
It was noted that the results obtained did corroborate those of previous meta-analyses of experimental and observational studies into the subject. Studies based on different populations that showed a similar association between the consumption of chocolate and cocoa related to cardiometabolic disorders.
The actual amounts of chocolate eaten by the 114,009 individuals were not identical, they differed in quantity and in type and form of chocolate, including chocolate bars, biscuits, and beverages.
The study’s conclusions
However, without going into the details, the conclusion of interest is that the participant who consumed the most chocolate, chocolate of any sort, dark, milk, or white chocolate, were associated with a 37% reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and 29% reduced risk of stroke compared to those who consumed the lowest amounts of chocolate and cocoa items.
Comment and caution
While this review of previous studies into the effects of chocolate consumption is encouraging, especially for a sweet loving diabetic, obviously much more study is really needed. It appears to help lower the cardiometabolic risk factors and it is hoped that chocolate could be available with less sugar and fat than is currently the case. But common sense tells us that moderation should be exercised.
I say that as I break off another square of chocolate, feeling guilty and reminded of the Lewis Carroll poem of the Walrus and the Carpenter wherein the tearful pair, saddened that the young oysters were about to be eaten, sorted out those of the largest size!
“I weep for you,” the Walrus said:
“I deeply sympathize.”
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.
In conclusion
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