There are certain foods many of us will try to avoid for health or weight-related reasons when thinking about our diets. Chocolate is often the first food to ditch, being high in sugar and fat. But new research suggests that eating dark chocolate could actually provide some unexpected health benefits.
A study, published in Food Bioscience journal, found that a type of chemical naturally occurring in many plant-based foods could lower the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes. The chemical, known as polyphenols, is bitter in taste and can be found in cocoa - with the highest levels of polyphenols usually found in dark chocolate compared to milk. Polyphenols interact with the bitter taste receptors on the tongue, known as the type 2 taste receptors (TR2).
Researchers from Shibaura Institute of Technology in Japan have found that polyphenol-caused activation of T2R in the gastrointestinal tract causes the secretion of hormones that may help lower a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes and obesity. They discovered that polyphenol-caused activation of T2R in the gastrointestinal tract causes the secretion of gastrointestinal hormones including cholecystokinin (CCK) and incretins like GLP-1. Both CCK and GLP-1 are known to help decrease appetite and regulate blood sugar levels.
In a media release , Professor Naomi Osakabe from Shibaura Institute, explained: “The gastrointestinal hormones are known to regulate feeding behaviour and maintain glucose tolerance via the endocri.