Dark Chocolate Relieves Stress and Lowers Blood Pressure

Dark Chocolate Relieves Stress and Lowers Blood Pressure
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Ask most women and they'll tell you that a good dose of chocolate really takes the edge off.  It’s not a joke.  Science confirms that eating dark chocolate helps relieve emotional stress and also lowers blood pressure.

A study published in the Journal of Proteome Research found that consuming 40 grams (about 1.4 ounces) of dark chocolate daily for a period of two weeks reduced levels of the stress hormone cortisol and catecholamines, the fight-or-flight hormones.

The authors also concluded that their study “provides strong evidence that a daily consumption of 40 g of dark chocolate during a period of 2 weeks is sufficient to modify the metabolism of ... healthy human subjects.”

Other studies had already suggested that chocolate relieved stress but this study provided evidence of the biochemical mechanism at work in relieving stress.

(PicLeidenschaft/iStock)
PicLeidenschaft/iStock
Margie King
Margie King
Author
Margie King is a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition®. A Wharton M.B.A. and corporate attorney for 20 years, she left the world of business to pursue her passion for all things nutritious. Margie is the author of Nourishing Menopause: The Whole Food Guide to Balancing Your Hormones Naturally. She is also a professional copywriter and natural health, beauty and nutrition writer. To contact Margie, visit www.IntegrativeMenopause.com.