Studies found that cocoa butter might be better for diabetics than other fats. A manufacturer of cocoa and chocolate is exploring the health benefits of cocoa butter for diabetics.

The positive effect of cocoa butter on diabetes was discovered during a study to determine why men and women are affected differently by diabetes. The study tried to create insulin resistance in male and female rats by feeding them a diet rich in different kinds of fats. To everyone's surprise, the animals on a cocoa fat diet developed better insulin sensitivity than those fed with other kinds of fat. Other studies have looked at the flavanoids in dark chocolate for their blood pressure lowering and insulin sensitizing attributes, so this isn't the first time chocolate seemed to have sweet effects on diabetes.

Barry Callebaut is funding this research aimed at discovering the component in cocoa butter responsible for an improvement in insulin sensitivity, with the ultimate aim of developing chocolate products for diabetics. The company has not revealed the amount of funding it is providing for the trial, nor an anticipated timeline for resulting products to be available. The positive results for the first trail - which NutraIngredients.com has not seen in full - appear to have been a surprise for those involved.

What increases bone density, promotes digestive health, helps keep kids healthy, and benefits the management of diabetes? Here's a hint, it sounds like the lifeblood treatment for type 1 diabetes - insulin - but the name of this goodie is inulin. Inulin in foods provides both bulk and sweetness without causing a rise in glucose levels.

Inulin is a natural dietary fiber found in over 35,000 common foods like artichokes, asparagus, onions, garlic, raisins and bananas. As an undigested fiber, it has no effect on blood glucose levels. It has a zero Glycemic Index. You could easily find it in your grocer's refrigerated section in Stonyfield Farm yogurts. Their version of inulin comes from chicory roots. Amazing all the places this ingredient naturally derives!

It is used increasingly in foods, because it has excellent nutritional and functional characteristics. Inulin can be used to replace sugar, fat, and flour. For the masses concerned with nutrition-labels, it contains one-third to one-fourth the food energy of sugar or other carbohydrates and one-sixth to one-ninth the food energy of fat. I'm curious to see what it tastes like, aren't you? From ignorant experience (uninformed of the artificial sweeteners used) I enjoy Stonyfield yogurts. I'll have to try another brand name with inulin on for size. Breaking news!! I just checked the ingredients in my newest dopamine-boosting fix: Trader Joe's low-glycemic dark chocolate. Golly gee-- sure enough inulin is on the list. I'm so in love with this dark chocolate because it really has such an insignificant affect on my blood sugar. Ultimate kudos to Ramsey, the creator of Miracle Muffins, for this sweet trinket of knowledge on artificial sweeteners!!

When I hear the word Nestlé I think "hmm, I could use some chocolate right about now." However, Business Week is reporting that Nestlé is branching out into...well, I wouldn't quite call it the health food market. The company is launching itself into the market for people concerned about their health, their weight, and diabetes. Scientists for Nestlé in Switzerland are working to develop high-tech food products that are tasty but bypass the usual harmful effects of junk food on the body.

Example? A new cereal bar that contains a fiber additive designed to avoid a surge in blood sugar after it has been eaten. Nestlé hopes to market the bar to Type 2 diabetics initially, but is also looking into the possibility of incorporating it into it's Stouffer's and Lean Cuisine brand meals.

I guess Nestlé has a shot at success if they can avoid an Olestra-type public image disaster. That's why they're sticking with using naturally occurring fats and fibers to essentially fool the body into feeling satisfied with less food.

This Business Week article contains a ton more information on the hows and whys of this shift. Check it out to learn more.

A team of Girl Scouts in Pennsylvania have been charged with a pretty ambitious task for a bunch of kids: start your own business. The girls attended an interactive seminar at the University of Scranton recently, the purpose of which was to help them nail down a concept. The girls, who are from the Scranton-Pocono Chapter of the Girl Scouts, came away from the seminar with a sense of what it takes to start your own business - the planning, the discussions, the time, the hard work. Terrific, you say, but what about the chocolate? Well, seems the girls had to define a target audience for their entrepreneurial efforts and they came up with...diabetics. They plan to open a store selling diabetic-friendly (sugar free) chocolate. They even have an advertising jingle lined up: "Eat it 'cause it's good for you. Eat it 'cause we tell you to." I have to admit I respect their business instincts. On the one hand, we all know diabetes is spiraling out of control in the US. On the other hand, we Americans still love to eat! Way to exploit a health crisis, girls! Just kidding. They're going to donate a portion of their profits to the American Diabetes Association. What a great idea.