You probably already know that the flavonoids in dark chocolate can enhance your brain function. They do so by increasing blood flow to the brain, helping you protect your memory as you age. These same flavonoids also can offer you some protection against heart disease. One of the several reasons is that chocolate is high in magnesium, which is a regulating heart mineral. And small amounts of chocolate can even help you lower your blood pressure. But that's not all chocolate can do for you.

According to research out of Brigham Young University, a compound in cocoa could actually help treat diabetes. I'm sure you never expected to hear of a positive link between chocolate and diabetes. According to the research, published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, cocoa contains compounds called epicatechin monomers. Here's why these are important for diabetics:

You probably know that when someone has diabetes, either his or her body is not producing enough insulin, or it isn't able to process blood sugar correctly. Our bodies contain beta cells that are responsible for producing insulin. Diabetes results when these cells don't function properly. However, epicatechin monomers can help these beta cells work more effectively.

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The researchers determined this by adding these compounds to the feed of animals being fed a high-fat diet. The epicatechin monomers helped decrease obesity levels and increase the animals' ability to deal with their blood sugar, despite their fatty diet. The research team found that these results occurred because the epicatechin monomers were helping the beta cells release more insulin to handle the blood sugar. The compounds do this by strengthening the cells' mitochondria, allowing them to produce more energy.

This line of research could prove to be great news for diabetics. However, there's a catch. You can't just go out and buy a bunch of chocolate bars to treat your diabetes. Sugar is still bad news, whether you're diabetic or not. The researchers say the next steps will be to try to isolate these compounds so that they can be delivered to the body in high levels - without the sugar.

Still, this research does mean that unsweetened cocoa powder could be beneficial for diabetics. And you'll get all the other remarkable flavonoid and antioxidant benefits mentioned above. Try adding some to a smoothie or sprinkle it onto oatmeal. You'll get a rich chocolate flavor without the sugar. And if your blood sugar is under control, a square or two of a high-quality dark chocolate (organic if possible) does make for a good treat. If it's not, Advanced Blood Sugar Formula can help protect you against unwanted spikes in your blood sugar. Its main ingredient is the plant gymnema, which is known as "the sugar destroyer" in Ayurvedic medicine.

Diabetes is rampant in India, 63 million people are diagnosed diabetics, with many more undiagnosed and pre-diabetic. Many pre-diabetic and early diagnosed diabetics rely on this herb to help them reverse their condition. Advance Blood Sugar Formula combines gymnema with other plants to help regulate and restore healthy blood sugar.

Janet Zand

Source:

Thomas J. Rowley, Benjamin F. Bitner, Jason D. Ray, Daniel R. Lathen, Andrew T. Smithson, Blake W. Dallon, Chase J. Plowman, Benjamin T. Bikman, Jason M. Hansen, Melanie R. Dorenkott, Katheryn M. Goodrich, Liyun Ye, Sean F. O'Keefe, Andrew P. Neilson, Jeffery S. Tessem. Monomeric cocoa catechins enhance ß-cell function by increasing mitochondrial respiration. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 2017; DOI: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2017.07.015