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Dark Chocolate: A Prebiotic and Probiotic?

Winnie53

BANNED
Messages
2,374
Location
United States
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
This article showed up in my mailbox today. I knew dark chocolate is good for the heart, but it's so much more...

An Unlikely Prebiotic You Already Love

...New research is suggesting that many of the health benefits including aging, antioxidant activity, blood pressure, cardiovascular health, and cognitive function that are linked to healthy gut microbes may be also linked to the prebiotic and probiotic effects of dark chocolate or cacao. (1,5,7,8)

In a controlled, double-blind, randomized clinical trial, researchers compared the effects of high-cocoa versus low-cocoa flavanol drinks.
The high-cocoa consumption group saw a significant increase in certain beneficial gut microbes such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. They also saw a significant decrease in undesirable gut microbes such as clostridia. (2)

According to the researchers, this was the first time they saw chocolate flavanols act as a prebiotic and boost beneficial bacteria in the gut. (2) In addition, the same study saw beneficial changes in triglyceride and C-reactive protein concentrations with the group that drank the high-cocoa mixture. (2)

The researchers found that the benefits of chocolate not only boosted the good populations of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, it also increased the gut’s ability to absorb the beneficial polyphenols and flavonoids of the cacao. (1) This effect was linked to a boost in immunity, which is one of the most-well studied effects of a healthy gut microbiome. (1)

Dark Chocolate and Blood Sugar

Perhaps one of the most surprising benefits of dark chocolate (pure 100% cacao) is the effect of its flavanols and polyphenols on insulin sensitivity and blood sugar levels. While there have been many similar studies on folks with blood sugar concerns, this study was performed on 61 healthy individuals with no blood sugar or cardiovascular issues. (3)

One group ate 20 grams (or about a half of a small bar) of dark chocolate daily for four weeks, while the other group received a placebo. The group that ate the dark chocolate saw a significant lowering of insulin, but no real changes in fasting blood sugar levels (which were normal to begin with). The placebo group actually saw an increase in insulin levels and an increase in fasting blood sugar levels. This study suggests that dark chocolate may offer prevention for blood sugar-related issues.

In yet another study, participants consumed 40 grams of dark chocolate for up to two weeks, and the results showed balancing effects from stress on the gut microbiome. (4) Interestingly, the long-term, regular dietary consumption of small amounts of dark chocolate has been shown to have a connection with the gut microbiome as well. (6)...

Read the entire article here... http://lifespa.com/an-unlikely-preb...4a2a68e7d552be2e5890a9894e0f3edf6b3dd604dcb6b
 
Arab Horse, I found that eating small amounts of dark chocolate - (1 square, 0.35 oz; Lindt) - with 70% cocoa content was okay sometimes, not others, so eventually switched to 85% cocoa content which worked fine for me. It was a bit of an adjustment, but might be worth a try.
 

I am not too keen on dark chocolate but can manage a piece of about 70% cocoa particularly if it has orange or caramel in it (from Lidl) so I might just give it a miss, thanks anyway! The thing I miss most is fresh fruit, I used to go to the market just before it packed up and get the seasonal fruits (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries etc.) really cheap but sadly I can no longer eat them. They were great added to my bran flakes in the morning, can't have those either, sigh!!!
 
Arab Horse, I read your posts on the ND thread. We're very similar. I got hit with an A1C of 9.9% in February, though I crossed over from prediabetes to diabetes 10 years ago. I'm 5'4", am small framed, and was 95 pounds in high school. Unlike you, my weight topped out at 180 pounds. I'm now at 145 - 148 pounds. Back in high school, people thought I was anorexic, but I actually ate normally and had an incredible metabolism.

I'm curious about your comments regarding how intolerant you are of carbs. I am too, but am continuing to make a little progress. I started the LCHF diet within 3 days of learning my diabetes was out of control. It took me a month to get my blood glucose down and stable to where they are now.

My blood glucose is up and down, in the 105 - 145 mg/dL (5.8 - 8.1 mmol/L) range, though lately my fasting and post meal levels have begun dropping.

I'm curious, if it's okay to ask, what your blood glucose readings were fasting and 2 hours post meal before you started the ND.
 

I had no diabetic symptoms and was diagnosed when I went for my free NHS health check. To say I was gobsmacked when I was told what my levels were is an understatement. I wasted many months sticking to the recommended diet before finding this site after I stopped work and had time to go on the internet. I worked in a lab so often didn't eat or drink all day as I was too busy to stop and no eating and drinking allowed in labs.

I was getting up and doing my horses and then testing before breakfast and my glucose was initially between 9.1 and 12.0mmol/L. I then started testing before I did the horses and then when I came in to have breakfast and my levels were 1 - 2mmol/L higher just before breakfast so I started having breakfast before I did the horses and my levels went down to between high 5s and 8s. I think the higher ones were when I ate later and/or didn't sleep well or had a particularly stressful day.

I am not actually doing the ND, more calorie controling with real food and trying not to eat after about 3.00pm. For breakfast I am having a grapefruit and a 2 egg omelette with some coconut oil, mushrooms, tomatoes, oinion, garlic,chilli flakes and herbs. I then have a large salad with fish, chicken or similar for lunch between 1 - 3.00pm and after a few days my fasting BS was between 3.6 - 5.2. Pre lunch it ranged between 3.8 (with one 3.3) and post lunch it was high 5s to mid 7s and before bed high 4s to mid 6s.

I have had a couple of family dos in the last week and my daughter is home from her travels for a couple of weeks so I haven't been sticking to my diet properly and my glucoses have been quite high, seem worse than they would have been if I had not been on the diet as I haven't been really bad, just eating a bit later so that I can eat with the family and having a small piece of naan bread with my curry (no rice). I think I may have to do the diet properly but I didn't want to lose any more weight as I only weigh 7 stone so not much to lose. I certainly don't have any visible fat. My daughter goes away again at the end of next week so I will start again and may do the shakes but keep to an omelette for breakfast.

I got some ex battery hens several weeks ago and they provide me with my eggs, very different from the bought ones; they have lovely bright yellow yolks. It took a while for them to start laying, they were in a poor way when I got them, but they now look very different.
 
@Arab Horse woke up early this morning, so read your posts, posted to you, then went back to bed. I know it's getting late there - (I'm on the west coast of the US so I'm 8 hours earlier here)...

My blood glucose slowly, but steadily creeped up over a 10 year period, and I also had no symptoms until very recently. I was re-diagnosed in mid-February after seeking treatment for what I thought was a bladder infection. I also was "gobsmacked", though I had been sleeping 10-12 hours a day for about three weeks. I wrongly assumed from exhaustion, due to a heavy workload and lots of stress during the months leading up to that time.

In 2011, I had an A1C of 8.3% - (and had no symptoms) - but became overly focused on learning how to eat gluten-free after having been diagnosed with non-celiac gluten sensitivity, which likely helped my diabetes, because it forced me to cut back a lot on grains, in the beginning at least. No more muffins (and cupcakes) for me!

Beginning in 2004, I was under the care of an endocrinologist for 2 to 3 years. I chose to not take medication, and didn't receive good guidance on diet.

They were highly professional, but not anywhere as helpful as they could have been had they known then what I know now. They basically gave me a meter, told me to start testing, told me to get my blood glucose down to within a specific range, and spent time at each quarterly appointment pressuring me to start taking a medication, which I always declined. Still do.

Like you, without proper guidance on how to eat, it was a set up for failure. My numbers were all over the place.

When I finally, intuitively and on my own, figured out that my blood glucose levels were better if I ate primarily eggs, and a variety of meats, and non-starchy vegetables, my blood glucose levels started coming down. For the first time, I was succeeding.

At my next appointment, I was told that eating like that would result in brain damage. I gave up. And sometime after that, they politely fired me as a patient.

First off, I just want to say that your numbers are similar to mine, sometimes better:

Fasting readings of 3.6 - 5.2 mmol/L (65 - 94 mg/dL)
Post breakfast readings of high "5s and 8s", estimated at 5.8 - 8.8 mmol/L (104 - 158 mg/dL)
Post lunch readings of "5s to mid 7s", estimated at 5.5 - 7.5 mmol/L (99 - 135 mg/dL)
Pre-bed readings of "4s to mid 6s", estimated at 4.5 - 6.5 (81 - 117 mg/dL)

My fasting glucose lately is ranging between 98 - 115 mg/dL (5.5 - 6.4 mmol/L)

You're doing great now that you're on the LCHF diet. You've lost the weight, your numbers are respectable, and I believe your blood glucose will become more stable as you learn more about when, what, and how to eat over this next year. So I'm a bit perplexed as to why you think you haven't reversed your diabetes. For the most part, you have.

I have two questions for you:

What was your last A1C? And how do you define "reversed diabetes"?
 
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Hi Winnie. I am guessing that I was diabetic for many years without knowing it before I had my free NHS check.

I will answer your comments as they appear.

"When I finally, intuitively and on my own, figured out that my blood glucose levels were better if I ate primarily eggs, and a variety of meats, and non-starchy vegetables, my blood glucose levels started coming down. For the first time, I was succeeding. At my next appointment, I was told that eating like that would result in brain damage. I gave up. And sometime after that, they politely fired me as a patient."
That is terrible. They (like many health professionals here) are at least 10 years out of date. They should have been encouraging you and maybe suggesting tweaks to your diet if they though it necessary. Sounds like what you were doing was spot on.

"You're doing great now that you're on the LCHF diet. You've lost the weight, your numbers are respectable, and I believe your blood glucose will become more stable as you learn more about when, what, and how to eat over this next year. So I'm a bit perplexed as to why you think you haven't reversed your diabetes. For the most part, you have. What was your last A1C? And how do you define "reversed diabetes"?"

I didn't set out to lose weight as I was in the middle of the "healthy" range for my height etc. and am now almost at the "critically underweight" point although I don't actually think I am that thin; the BMI is very inaccurate way to measure body fat. My son always comes out as high but he is a policeman and has a lot of muscle so isn't really overweight although it wouldn't hurt him to lose a few pounds! My figures only stay in the normal range as long as I eat virtually no carbs and don't eat in the evenings. After not eating after 3.00pm my BG last night before I went to bed was 6.0mmol/L and my fasting BG this morning was 6.6mmol/L, 1 hour after my grapefruit and omelette 5.6mmol/L and 2 hours after 4.7mmol/L.
My last HbA1c was 6.5% and I hope next time I am tested it will be lower. It should be as I have had a few BGs in the threes since I started my diet but I have also had some high ones. The lack of consistency suggests to me that I have not done anything to reverse my diabetes but am just controlling it with diet and a bit of extra exercise. I bought a treadmill and I sometimes do some walking on that in the evening. Not as much or as often as I should but every little helps! I also do a couple of hours exercise putting the beds down for the horses, doing haynets and waters and bringing them in for the night.
I would love to think that I had reversed my diabetes but the few times I have eaten early evening with the family instead of sticking to my black coffee or hot lemon drink (slice of lemon in hot water, no sugar) despite sticking pretty much to my low carbs my glucose has been highish at bedtime and again in the morning so I think it is "control" rather than "reversal".
I think once my daughter leaves again I may start the ND with my omelette for breakfast, one salad and one shake made with water (so only about 120 calories, stick to under 800 per day as at my weight 800 calories is a lot more than it is for the obese T2s). I would love to be able to have a wider repertoire of things I can eat even if only in small amounts. I am taking my daughter and her husband out for lunch (evening meal out for the moment) next week but have to check the menu carefully of where we are going to make sure there are things I can have and still enjoy the meal without her getting stressed about my diet!
 
Arab Horse, the good news is that our local diabetes and nutrition clinic at the hospital is supportive of the LCHF diet today. I don't know if they were 10 years ago because I unfortunately did not consult them. My bad. Slowly, slowly I'm seeing shift happen.

Your last A1C of 6.5% is great. I think it will be lower next time too.

You've made so much progress in managing your blood glucose. As to the BMI issue, I agree that's it's problematic for those of us with a small or large frame. When I weighed 95 pounds I was in excellent health.

I think what you're doing with regular exercise and a daily fasting period are both incredibly helpful. I'm following nephrologist Jason Fung, MD's work closely and am impatiently waiting for him to finish and get his book published, hopefully by next year.

By the way, when I changed the way I eat in February, I was so insulin resistant that no amount of exercise helped much - (but I kept walking because I believed it would eventually help and it did!). Now, a 20 minute stroll will significantly reduce my blood glucose - (it's like magic) - so I feel a lot more in control of my blood glucose levels.

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding, but I'm under the impression that you define "reversing diabetes" as no longer having diabetes. Is that correct, or am I misunderstanding you?

I don't know that's possible. Perhaps I'm missing something? Could you tell me more about that?

My understanding is that while most of us can tightly control our blood glucose levels with diet, and in time we may be able to tolerate more carbohydrates than we do initially - (I assume due to a lessened insulin resistance) - sadly, we will always have to limit specific foods, or at minimum, the frequency and amounts of specific foods. I wish it were possible to eat the way non-diabetics eat, but I don't know of anyone who has been able to do that.
 
@Winnie53, says "Perhaps I'm misunderstanding, but I'm under the impression that you define "reversing diabetes" as no longer having diabetes. Is that correct, or am I misunderstanding you?" and "I wish it were possible to eat the way non-diabetics eat, but I don't know of anyone who has been able to do that. "

I would say more in "remission" rather than actually classing myself as "non diabetic" and there are people who appear to have cured their diabetes but they all seem to have been overweight and not diabetic for a long time if I am getting it right.

I know I am a very untypical T2 and I have probably been diabetic for many years without knowing I was so I am not too hopeful of being "cured" but am hoping to be able to eat a few more carbs and have the occasional desert when I am out with the family without the worry of how horrendous my BG is!!!! At the moment I have what I am able to eat and then have a teaspoonfull of whoever's dessert I like the best along with my black coffee. I am fortunate in that I always had my coffee strong and almost black with no sugar so I just dropped the small amount of milk and now have it black.

It is also very inconvenient as my husband refuses to moderate his diet in any way and insists on still using the very high carb sauces when he cooks. That is part of the reason I have stopped eating in the evening as he is using the cooker and most of the work top to do his meal so I had to eat very late and then go to bed on a full stomach; it just seemed easier to not bother and gives me a longer time fasting as I was only having between 8 to 9 hours a night fasting, I now have 15+ hours. There are mixed ideas as to number of meals, hours of fasting etc so I will see how it goes. I may start having a "shake" later in the day as my morning glucose seems to be a bit higher since I stopped having anything later in the day; the opposite of what I expected. I will keep going a bit longer to see if the morning glucose gets lower and if not I will have something later in the day.
 
Arab Horse, I have to leave the house shortly, but will write again later today. My goal from the beginning has been to increase my carbohydrate tolerance of vegetables and berries, and I have made some progress as my insulin resistance has continued to lessen. I think it's still possible to have a dessert now and then, but it's different now. Last night I had three fresh strawberries, sliced with an ounce of walnuts, and two tablespoons of heavy whipping cream flavored with vanilla extract and sweetened with a few drops of Stevita liquid extract. It was rich, bursting with intense flavor from the berries...delicious. There are ways.
 
Arab Horse, apologies for taking so long to get back to you. Had a lot going on this weekend.

I know of no cure for type 2 or type 1 diabetes, only improved health, reduced insulin resistance, and increased carbohydrate tolerance through use of diet, exercise, and other helps. It's frustrating and disappointing when our spouse is unable to support us, for whatever reason.

Is there anything that might nudge him to begin attending to your needs too? Would he be willing to watch a video, read a book, or take a class on how to manage and/or reverse diabetes? Getting my husband, who is overweight, to read Gary Taube's books got him on board with my diet - (I affectionately call him "My Budda" because of the shape of his belly) - and he's losing weight too. What motivates your spouse? Anything?
 
@Arab Horse - Have you considered trying the Libre, with a couple of sensors to monitor your bloods more comprehensively? I have found the data extremely enlightening; especially for the overnight/very early morning activity I see, and clarification of the impact of a lie in, versus wake and up.

Secondly, could you just clarify for me what your "....lack of consistency..." actually means these days in terms of your blood scores?

Finally, have you encountered the "last meal effect"? In essence, our bodies (and the metabolic processes and the enzyme produced, work to a routine, so when we make a change, like increased carb, or eating to a materially different programme, even if the same foods, our bodies may not be able to initially cope with those changes, and thereby the correct digestive enzymes and hormones are not available on demand at the correct times. That is why any changes need to be applied for a few iterations, ideally repeated daily for a few days, to allow the body to catch up. Testing is likely to show and easing of any resultant peaks and troughs. It's worth a read-up.

Personally, I have fund I don't function at my very best very low carb. I do reduced/low carb, but when I inadvertantly have an ultra low carb day, my bloods appear to be a margin higher, which is obviously counter intuitive. Whether last meal affect would improve if I did this regularly, I have no idea, as it's not my chosen way to be.

Frustratingly, I feel that dietary/lifestyle changes need to be looked at in chunks of a minimum week period, if not longer. Viewing individual meals (once the real bad boys have been identified) in isolation isn't always helpful to either the longer term or sanity.
 
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