How Much Chocolate Candy Should a Diabetic Eat Daily?

Diabetics must carefully balance food intake for fats, carbohydrates, proteins and other nutrients. Once considered a food to avoid, chocolate, especially rich-dark varieties, actually provides some health benefits, yet because it is not a low-calorie or low-fat food, should be strictly monitored. For diabetics, a one-ounce serving per day may be permissible, although you should always talk to your doctor or nutritionist about fitting chocolate into your specific diet plan.

The Facts

• According to Diabetes Self Management.com, "Chocolate is made from cacao beans that are roasted and then cracked. The insides of the beans, or the 'nibs,' are crushed into a paste called chocolate liquor (which contains no alcohol). Chocolate liquor can be made into cocoa powder if the fat (cocoa butter) is removed. But to make chocolate, sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, vanilla and milk (in the case of milk chocolate) are combined. The chocolate then goes through various refining processes to give it a smooth, silky texture. Dark chocolate contains more cocoa than milk chocolate, contains no milk and also is lower in sugar."

Theories/Speculation

• Researchers connect the lack of nitric acid in diabetics with the belief that dark chocolate bumps up levels of nitric oxide, which helps blood vessels relax and open. An extensive project conducted by the University of Washington School of Medicine indicates that some therapies that introduce increased levels of nitric oxide (not to be confused with nitrous oxide) may be of benefit to diabetics. Dark chocolate was revealed to improve insulin sensitivity, which may help control blood glucose levels.

General Health Benefits

• Continuing research finds some nutritional and health benefits in dark chocolate so it is now allowed for many diabetics when included in a daily carbohydrate, calories and fats-controlled eating plan. Diabetes self-management.com states, "Cocoa, or cacao, beans, are rich in flavonoids. Researchers have been learning more and more about flavonoids in foods such as fruits, vegetables and tea. Now they've added chocolate to their list."

  Dark chocolate is strongly linked to reducing blood cholesterol and blood pressure, which are common with diabetics. The July 4, 2007, issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association reveals that in a study, 22 adults with high blood pressure were given 30 calories of dark chocolate every day for 18 weeks. The other 22 ate 30 calories of white chocolate each day. "After the 18 weeks, the dark chocolate group had a 2.9 millimeter Hg [mercury] drop in systolic blood pressure (the top number), and a 1.9 mm Hg drop in diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number). The white chocolate group had no change in blood pressure."

  Science News reports, "Benefits associated with dark chocolate in past studies include improved flexibility of the arteries, which can contribute to lower blood pressure, and reduced stickiness of clot-forming blood components called platelets, which might reduce the risk of strokes and other problems associated with unwanted clotting."

Benefits to Diabetics

• In another study reported by Science News, "Dark chocolate consumption accelerated the body's metabolism of blood sugar, or glucose, a process that involves the hormone insulin. Impaired insulin function can lead to diabetes."

Warning

• Chocolate contains saturated fats and is relatively high in calories, so small portions are recommended. A 1.3 ounce dark chocolate bar contains approximately 190 calories (units of energy) and 12 grams of fat, 7 of which are saturated fats, and 22 carbohydrates. Chocolate may be included in as daily diet only after all the recommended amounts of fruits, vegetables and other healthy nutrients have been eaten. Chocolate, in small amounts, may be included in the overall plan, remembering that it is a high-calorie and high-saturated-fat food.