Chocolate proven to relieve stress
Friday 13 November 2009
Feeling frazzled this morning? Want an excuse to have a sneaky piece of chocolate?
While it can be tempting to comfort eat during the day, a new study has suggested that it’s not necessarily the sugar in chocolate that makes you feel better.
A study has shown that dark chocolate could have the power to relieve stress as well as taste delicious.
Compounds such as flavanols in the chocolate were said to reduce levels of stress hormones due to their balancing qualities - possibly explaining the comfort factor that chocolate can bring.
In the study, people suffering from stress and anxiety who ate a piece of dark chocolate every day reported reduced symptoms within two weeks.
We previously reported that small portions of the dark stuff can actually increase our tolerance of pain – no wonder we always find ourselves reaching for it!
As always, though, stick to the dark stuff and proceed with caution with your portions – one or two squares should be enough to get your daily quota.