Wanted: Women Chocolate Fans

March 2, 2010 Filed Under: Diabetes

Diabetes is a problem and if you have it, it’s not a condition that will just go away, as being a chronic disease that can cause serious complications – it’s a condition where the blood sugar level consistently runs too high and has to be taken care of each and every day – failure to do so, can be fatal.

As diabetes is the leading cause of adult blindness, lower-limb amputations, kidney failure as well as causing heart disease, strokes, and even death if untreated, it’s important that ongoing research is carried out, to help find cures.

But perhaps there is some new hope for certain types of diabetes…. at least according to this news snippet from BBC News:

Scientists are to investigate whether eating chocolate can reduce the risk of heart disease in women with diabetes.

Volunteers – postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes – will be asked to eat a bar of chocolate a day for a year.

Cocoa is rich in compounds called flavonoids, which are thought to benefit the heart.

The University of East Anglia is using a specially formulated form of chocolate which contains more flavonoids than usual.

The scientists are testing the theory that adding flavonoids to the diet may give added protection against heart disease on top of that provided by prescription drugs.

Deaths due to heart disease among women increase rapidly after the menopause and having type 2 diabetes increases this risk by a further three-and-a-half times.

If the trial confirms the hypothesis then it could have a far-reaching impact on the advice given to at-risk women.

The researchers aim to recruit 150 women under the age of 70 with type 2 diabetes who have not had a period for at least a year, and who have been taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs for at least 12 months.

Dr Iain Frame, director of research at the charity Diabetes UK, said: “We certainly don’t advise people to start eating a lot of chocolate as it is very high in sugar and fat.

News Source and to read the full story: BBC NEWS | Health | Chocolate ‘may cut diabetes risk’