Dark chocolate just gets better and better.

So I’ve been reading a lot lately about how good dark chocolate is for us, so am now having four squares each day.

However, it just gets better, as new research is showing that dark chocolate may even help prevent both obesity and type-2 diabetes.

It obviously doesn’t mean that we can all, over this Easter, just sit and eat kilograms of dark chocolate to reduce our weight. It doesn’t work that way – unfortunately!!!

A study done by the Department of Food Science and Technology at VirginiaTech University has found that a specific antioxidant found only in cocoa, tea and grapes prevented mice in their laboratory from gaining weight as well as reducing their blood sugar levels.

Flavanol, the antioxidant involved, has several types, including oligomeric procyanidins (PCs). It is this compound that had the positive effects in the lab mice in this study.

The researchers wrote in the study; “Oligomeric PCs appear to possess the greatest antiobesity and antidiabetic bioactivities of the flavanols in cocoa, particularly at the low doses employed for the present study.”

So not only can the fermentation of specific dark chocolate compounds produce anti inflammatory effects, but eating this type of chocolate can influence weight control and blood sugar uptake.

It is starting to sound like a miracle food. However, it is important to note that research has to be done on human subjects over time to determine if these health benefits are confirmed fact.

In the meantime, eating a little of everything, including dark chocolate, is still the recognised best advice nutritionally.

Written by Rachelle Williams – the Green Food Safety Coach