A new study has shown that consuming five servings of dark chocolate per week considerably reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. But this benefit doesn't extend to milk chocolate, the researchers say. The findings of their study were published in the journal BMJ.

Researchers analyzed data from more than 192,000 healthy adults who reported on their eating habits, health condition, and body weight over a 30-year period.

According to the study, people who ate at least five one-ounce servings of any type of chocolate per week were 10% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes.

Only dark chocolate had a greater effect, reducing the risk by 21%, while milk chocolate had no real benefit and was only associated with long-term weight gain.

The aforesaid researchers argue that the high levels of flavonols in dark chocolate may counteract the effects of saturated fat and sugar on weight gain and other cardiovascular diseases.