Keep Diabetes at Bay with Chocolate

You wouldn’t generally put a diabetes patient and chocolate in the same room.

Or would you?

What does modern medical research say? Let’s find out more in this blog.

What Is Diabetes?

To fight diabetes, you must know what causes the disease.

Your body is a machine. Just like any other machine your body needs fuel; in this case, energy.  And how does it achieve that? Through the typical process of digestion, the glucose (sugar) in food is converted to energy. The hormone insulin regulates this all-important conversion process. We are likely to suffer from diabetes if our pancreas stops producing insulin in adequate amounts.  An inadequate release of insulin hampers the process of glucose metabolism. That is why, for people with diabetes, it is important to restrict their carbohydrate intake. Consumption of fewer carbs helps to manage the rise in blood sugar levels.

Fighting Diabetes – Chocolate Is a Yummy Weapon

Recent studies have revealed that the consumption of one medium sized chocolate bar a day can go a long way in keeping you protected against diabetes.

Sounds contradictory, right?

Well, here’s the explanation.

Chocolate,– specifically dark chocolate — when consumed in restricted quantity every day, can protect your system from a condition called insulin resistance.  Due to a variety of lifestyle factors, body cells undergo several damaging changes, which eventually lead to insulin dysfunction.  Antioxidants called flavonoids can help you avoid these kinds of cellular damages, and thus keep you protected against ‘insulin resistance’. The cocoa, from which chocolate is made, is a rich source of flavonoids.

Why Only Dark Chocolates?

In order to enjoy the anti-diabetic benefits of flavonoids, you must consume only the plain, dark chocolates. When mixed with milk and sugar, cocoa loses much of its anti-oxidant benefits. Dark and plain varieties, on the other hand, can push the antioxidant levels in blood by up to 20 percent. As a result, you achieve a lower level of insulin resistance, and your body is better equipped to regulate the glucose level in the blood.

There is a wide variety of super foods that can help you fight diabetes. Chocolates are perhaps the most delicious among them. So, consume dark chocolate in moderation to enjoy their anti-diabetic benefits to the fullest.