Reduce stress with Dark Chocolate

It’s not a surprise that eating chocolate makes us feel better and happier. And there is a reason for that. Researchers in Switzerland have shown people who eat a daily dose of dark chocolate may be less stressed.

Stress is a part of our lives. And as a business owner and a mother of 2 young kids, I am feeling it every moment of my day having to juggle a million things at once. Now, take a note. A dose of dark chocolate could cheer you right up by lowering your stress hormone levels, a new study suggests.

Swiss researchers, who report their findings in the online issue of the Journal of Proteome Research, tracked volunteers who said they were highly stressed. (Now, I am upset. Why they’ve never asked ME to partake in this study?) The study provides strong evidence that a daily consumption of 40 grams (1.4 ounces) during a period of two weeks is sufficient to modify the metabolism of healthy human volunteers. The chocolate also appeared to help correct other imbalances in the body that are related to stress.

But won't chocolate make people gain weight? That's certainly possible, but the scientists pointed out that dark chocolate contains antioxidants and much less sugar than a regular milk chocolate, which are beneficial to health, and other substances that appear to reduce the risk of heart disease and other conditions.

But until now, not much has been known about how chocolate affects stress. Maybe it’s just a ‘feel good’ hormone that takes over?..... Or maybe there is a reason why chocolates of any kind is always the best present….