Daily dark chocolate consumption ‘can reduce heart disease and diabetes risk’

Eating a small amount of dark chocolate on a daily basis can be beneficial for health, according to new research.

Conducted by the Luxembourg Institute of Health, the University of Warwick Medical School, the University of South Australia and the University of Maine, the study suggested that chocolate can, in moderation, help prevent diabetes and insulin resistance.

Looking at data for 1,153 people aged between 18 and 69 years of age, it was found that those who ate 100 g of chocolate a day had reduced insulin resistance and improved liver enzymes, putting them at a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

More than 80 percent of participants claimed to eat an average of 24.8 g of chocolate a day, with those who regularly ate chocolate tending to be younger, more physically active and with higher levels of education.

Professor Saverio Stranges, scientific director of the department of population health at the Luxembourg Institute of Health, said: "Cocoa-based products may represent an additional dietary recommendation to improve cardio-metabolic health; however, observational results need to be supported by robust trial evidence."