World Chocolate Day: Here's why dark chocolate is the best dessert for diabetics

Chocolates are soul food. They melt on the tongue and feel like heaven. In fact, they have mood boosting properties and antioxidants to boast of. This World Chocolate Day, we plan to share a list of appreciation for cacao. While, the usual milk chocolate is notorious for making you gain inches on your waist, it’s raw form- dark chocolate is brimming with superb benefits.

Many people are under the impression that dark chocolate is bad for diabetics. While this may be true, there are alternatives to dark chocolate that are healthier and can be enjoyed by those with diabetes. They contains flavonoids and antioxidants which can help lower blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.

The flavonoids in the dark variant have been shown to reduce insulin resistance caused by high blood sugar levels, which can help prevent type 2 diabetes. In addition to this, studies have shown that people who consume a diet high in flavonoids have a lower risk of developing heart disease or stroke than those who don’t consume this type of food.

Here’s how dark chocolate helps if you are a diabetic?

  1. Dark chocolate also has magnesium, zinc, iron and potassium. The magnesium helps to control blood sugar levels by increasing insulin secretion while boosting liver function. The zinc helps to improve insulin sensitivity, while the iron improves glucose tolerance and prevents anemia.
  2. The potassium in it is necessary for maintaining nerve function, muscle strength and healthy blood pressure levels.
  3. Dark chocolate is a fantastic food for diabetics. It contains a lot of antioxidants and nutrients that can help you manage your blood sugar levels by preventing oxidative stress.
iron rich foods
Dark chocolate needs to be hailed as the best dessert! Image Courtesy: Shutterstock

There are some concerns that dark chocolate might contain more caffeine than milk chocolate. It could be difficult to tell if you’re getting enough antioxidants from dark chocolate. However, these things don’t appear to affect blood sugar levels.

Thus, the best way to have it in your diabetic diet is to have 1 small piece of it when you have sweet cravings. Remember 1 cube is sufficient for the day. Excess of anything may not be the right choice for you if you are a diabetic.