Image by Siona Karen used with permission and modified.
Today, December 16, is National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day. Yes. Yes, it is. And, to make the day even better, we can all nosh away on this decadence AND lower our stress levels.
It’s true.
Chocolate helps us lower stress levels.
Did you just do a happy dance? I did.
In a study of 30 people, the research found that about four squares of a large chocolate bar eaten every day for two weeks lowered blood stress levels. The study used chocolate with 75% cocoa solids.
Another small study of 60 students showed that eating 40 g of dark and milk chocolate every day for two weeks can reduce perceived stress in females (source).
So pretty magical. At the very least, it lowers your perceived stress levels. And if you eat chocolate with 75% cocoa solids, you’ll see an actual decrease in the stress hormone levels in your blood. Win-win, I say!
So go ahead and wrap yourself in an indulgent blanket of chocolate over the next two weeks. ‘Tis the season! You’ll feel better both inside and out.
