Stress relief

29 March 2012 – Eating a moderate amount of dark chocolate every day can help reduce your stress levels.

The study by Nestlé monitored 30 healthy adults for two weeks. Every day each participant was given 40g of dark chocolate (made of up to 75% cocoa solids). They consumed half the chocolate in the morning and the other half in the afternoon.

Those participants who recorded higher levels of stress at the beginning of the study experienced a reduction in the chemical reactions in their bodies associated with stress.

The results showed the level of stress-related hormones reduced in all participants, including those who were not assessed as stressed at the start.

“It is possible to speculate that making dark chocolate part of a healthy balanced diet might lead to a chemical composition in the body that is better able to handle stress,” says Nestlé scientist Dr Sunil Kochhar.