Sweet News for Managing Blood Sugar

Chocolate Is Not Your Average Sweet Treat 

Despite its "sweet" reputation, chocolate has a low glycemic index — the measure of a food's impact on blood sugar levels.

This means that eating chocolate, unlike other candies or sweet foods, will not cause your blood sugar to spike and then crash. This up-down, yo-yo effect can wreak havoc on your mood and energy level, and even throw off your natural hunger cues, making you feel hungry when you really aren't.

Watching Your Blood Sugar

Chocolate's low glycemic index is not the only good news for people who must vigilantly watch their blood sugar. The antioxidants in dark chocolate and cocoa may aid the impaired circulation and unhealthy blood vessels that often precede the development of diabetes while also possibly improving cells' sensitivity to insulin and glucose.

Dark chocolate and cocoa are rich in flavanols, plant-based antioxidants that studies show may improve blood flow and keep vessels healthy. Other antioxidants you may have heard of include Vitamin C and Vitamin E.

For people at risk for diabetes, these same flavanols may also help restore more normal function in cells to better control blood sugar. Insulin is the key that unlocks the door of a cell to allow sugar to enter and provide energy. When a condition called insulin resistance develops, the normal amount of insulin your body produces no longer works well. The cells can't open up to pull sugar out of the bloodstream — resulting in higher levels of sugar in the blood. Scientists believe flavanols trigger the production of nitric oxide inside the cells, which stimulates the cell to accept sugar again.

When flavanol-rich chocolate was given to participants for 15 days, researchers saw lower blood sugar levels than before the treatment period. Of course the rules of moderation apply—diet and weight control for people at risk for diabetes is especially important. People with diabetes should consult their physician to determine an appropriate place for dark chocolate and cocoa in their diet.