Compounds in chocolate, tea and berries ‘can protect against diabetes’

New UK research has suggested certain ingredients commonly found in berries, tea and chocolate can help to offer protection against type 2 diabetes.

The University of East Anglia (UEA) and King's College London has studied almost 2,000 people, discovering that high intakes of these dietary compounds are associated with lower insulin resistance and better blood glucose regulation.

These food groups have also been shown to help lower rates of inflammation that can be associated with diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and cancer if it persists in the long term.

Further research will be needed to determine exactly how much of these compounds need to be consumed to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Study leader Professor Aedin Cassidy from the UEA's Norwich Medical School said: "This is one of the first large-scale human studies to look at how these powerful bioactive compounds might reduce the risk of diabetes."

In the UK, approximately 2.9 million people are affected by diabetes, with around 90 percent of these cases being the type 2 variant.