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A Comparison Chocolate With and Without High Cocoa Solids in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes in a Randomised Clinical Trial

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT01617603
Enrollment
62
Registered
2012-06-12
Start date
2009-04-30
Completion date
2011-05-31
Last updated
2013-07-19

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Diabetes Type 2

Keywords

diabetes type 2, insulin resistance, glycaemic control, Endothelial function, Cocoa Polyphenols

Brief summary

Type 2 diabetes is being acknowledged as a potential public health time bomb, whose incidence is predicted to double over the next 10 years in the UK, associated with the rise in obesity and increasing sedentary lifestyles. Increased insulin resistance has been shown to be an important feature of type 2 diabetes (especially in those presenting with obesity and in particular visceral or abdominal obesity). Insulin resistance is implicated as a risk factor of cardiovascular disease and may lead to pancreatic dysfunction through increased β-cell stress in the pancreas. A combination of insulin resistance and pancreatic beta cell failure then leads to type 2 diabetes. The main cause of morbidity and mortality in type 2 diabetes is cardiovascular disease as the condition is associated with impaired vascular functioning and increased levels of oxidation markers. Epidemiological studies suggest dietary flavonoids decrease the risk of death from coronary heart disease, cancer, and stroke. Flavonoid-rich foods include fruits and vegetables as well as tea, red wine, and chocolate. In a cohort of elderly men, cocoa intake was inversely associated with blood pressure and 15-year cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. It has been reported that in healthy humans, consumption of flavanol-rich dark chocolate decreased daytime and night time blood pressure, reduced insulin resistance, and improved nitric oxide dependent vaso-relaxation. Another trial found that cocoa powder increased postprandial insulinaemia in lean young adults. These research papers have led to the hypothesis that chocolate containing high cocoa liquor may help to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This study is design as a double-blind, controlled, single center, randomized, parallel design clinical trial. The primary outcome measure is to compare parameters of insulin resistance and glycaemic control in volunteers with type 2 diabetes after consumption of 3 different chocolates (one dark and two milk chocolates) with a secondary outcome of endothelial function, cholesterol profile and oxidative stress. Subjects will undergo medical screening, anthropometry, physical activity and dietary assessments before randomization.

Interventions

20g/d of product, two active products provide 20 mg/d epicatechin, on visiting occasions, an acute dose of 40g product to be given

Sponsors

Société des Produits Nestlé (SPN)
Lead SponsorINDUSTRY

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Investigator)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
45 Years to 75 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* The diagnosis of type 2 diabetes will be based on the WHO guidelines. These are 2 fasting plasma glucose readings of greater than 7.0mmoll-1 or 2 random plasma glucose readings \>11mmoll-1 in the absence of symptoms or concurrent illness or medication which might lead to hyperglycaemia (e.g. thiazide diuretics). Or one reading meeting the diagnostic level with the presence of symptoms of polyuria, polydipsia, nocturia, fatigue or blurring of vision. The final diagnostic method of diagnosis type 2 diabetes is a positive oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) using a 75g glucose load. If doubt exists on the diagnosis of diabetes an OGTT will be performed. * Diabetes managed by diet alone or diet and metformin. If metformin is used the dose should have been stable for a minimum of 3 months prior to the start of the study. * Hba1c up to and including 9.9% * Age 45-75 * If female, should be post-menopausal * BMI 25-39kgm-2 * Patients will have attended a structured group patient education programme (and be on stable medication for hypertension, lipids and gout (if appropriate) for 3 months prior to entry into the study. Subjects will be encouraged to incorporate the chocolate into their diet as advised during the education programme * Having obtained his/her or his/her legal representative's informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

* Patients with concurrent illness or any changes in medication in the last 3 months. * Patients whose diabetes is managed with TZDs, DPP-IV inhibitors, GLP-1 analogues, insulin or sulphonylureas or prandial regulators * Patients not wishing to allow disclosure to their GPs. * Pregnancy * Hba1c at recruiting stage of \>10.0% * Patient who cannot be expected to comply with treatment * Currently participating or having participated in another clinical trial during the last 3 months prior to the beginning of this study * Patients who consuming more than 20g/d of chocolate or having a very high polyphenol content of their diet, who are not willing to change their diet * Patients taking high dose antioxidant supplements including single and multivitamin preparations including A,C,E. * Women on HRT treatment

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Difference in Insulin Resistance (HOMA) Between Treatments After 12 Weeks of Product Intake84th day of product intakeHbA1c with measurement of plasma glucose and insulin (to determine HOMA index) at the 84th day after product intake minus value at baseline (1st day of product intake. Insulin resistance is defined by a HOMA index \> 2.4

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Endothelial Function After 12 Weeks of Product Intake84th day of product intakeEndothelial function is assessed from arterial stiffness measurements at the 84th day minus the value at baseline (1st day of product intake)
Cholesterol Profile After 12 Weeks of Product Intake84th day of product intakeCholesterol profile is assessed from plasma HDL, LDL and total cholesterol measurements at the 84th day of product intake
Oxidative Stress After 12 Weeks of Product Intake84th day of product intakeOxidative stress is assessed from measurements of plasma markers (High sensitivity CRP, IL-1, IL-6, and alpha-TNF) at the 84th day of product intake

Countries

United Kingdom

Participant flow

Recruitment details

62 subjects were recruited. The intention-to-treat (ITT) set comprised of all the subjects who completed V4. One subject joined another trial after recruitment while two other subjects dropped out in course of the trial. These three subjects were not included in the full analysis population. Finally, PP dataset comprised of n = 48.

Pre-assignment details

Two subjects withdrew their consent quickly after giving it and were replaced so that the total number of recruited subjects was 62. Patients were randomly assigned to one of the three groups using age and gender as the stratification factors. The randomization was performed using the software TRIALSYS (developed internally at Nestlé).

Participants by arm

ArmCount
High Polyphenol Milk Chocolate
High polyphenol milk chocolate containing approximately 1 mg/g of epicatechin Cocoa Polyphenols : 20g/d of product, two active products provide 20 mg/d epicatechin, on visiting occasions, an acute dose of 40g product to be given
20
Low Polyphenol Milk
Low polyphenol milk control (matched to product 1 as closely as possible for milk content, carbohydrate, fat and calories, made from cocoa butter, sugar, milk powder and small amount of cocoa liquor to improve taste, giving approximately 0.05mg/g epicatechin. Cocoa Polyphenols : 20g/d of product, two active products provide 20 mg/d epicatechin, on visiting occasions, an acute dose of 40g product to be given
21
Nestle Noir 70 % Chocolate
Nestle Noir 70 % chocolate containing approximately 1 mg/g of epicatechin Cocoa Polyphenols : 20g/d of product, two active products provide 20 mg/d epicatechin, on visiting occasions, an acute dose of 40g product to be given
21
Total62

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicHigh Polyphenol Milk ChocolateLow Polyphenol MilkNestle Noir 70 % ChocolateTotal
Age, Customized
<= 45 years
0 participants0 participants0 participants0 participants
Age, Customized
>=75 years
0 participants0 participants0 participants0 participants
Age, Customized
Between 45 and 75 years
20 participants21 participants21 participants62 participants
HOMA at the begining of product intake6.50 HOMA index4.63 HOMA index4.45 HOMA index5.19 HOMA index
Region of Enrollment
United Kingdom
20 participants21 participants21 participants62 participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
10 Participants11 Participants10 Participants31 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
10 Participants10 Participants11 Participants31 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
EG002
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
— / —— / —— / —
other
Total, other adverse events
0 / 200 / 210 / 21
serious
Total, serious adverse events
1 / 201 / 210 / 21

Outcome results

Primary

Difference in Insulin Resistance (HOMA) Between Treatments After 12 Weeks of Product Intake

HbA1c with measurement of plasma glucose and insulin (to determine HOMA index) at the 84th day after product intake minus value at baseline (1st day of product intake. Insulin resistance is defined by a HOMA index \> 2.4

Time frame: 84th day of product intake

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)
High Polyphenol Milk ChocolateDifference in Insulin Resistance (HOMA) Between Treatments After 12 Weeks of Product Intake2.82 HOMA index
Low Polyphenol MilkDifference in Insulin Resistance (HOMA) Between Treatments After 12 Weeks of Product Intake2.21 HOMA index
Nestle Noir 70 % ChocolateDifference in Insulin Resistance (HOMA) Between Treatments After 12 Weeks of Product Intake2.75 HOMA index
Secondary

Cholesterol Profile After 12 Weeks of Product Intake

Cholesterol profile is assessed from plasma HDL, LDL and total cholesterol measurements at the 84th day of product intake

Time frame: 84th day of product intake

Secondary

Endothelial Function After 12 Weeks of Product Intake

Endothelial function is assessed from arterial stiffness measurements at the 84th day minus the value at baseline (1st day of product intake)

Time frame: 84th day of product intake

Secondary

Oxidative Stress After 12 Weeks of Product Intake

Oxidative stress is assessed from measurements of plasma markers (High sensitivity CRP, IL-1, IL-6, and alpha-TNF) at the 84th day of product intake

Time frame: 84th day of product intake

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026