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Chocolate for Stress Relief

StressRelief

Chocolate For Stress Relief: Can Talk about Choco-Therapy?

Science has proven that eating dark chocolate has two major benefits: reducing stress and improving memory. Dark chocolate does this because of its high cocoa content, which has many antioxidants, minerals, and fibre.

To give you an idea, a quality 100g dark chocolate bar containing 70% cocoa will contain the following nutritional ingredients:

  • 11 grams of fibre
  • 67% iron
  • 58% magnesium
  • 89% copper
  • 98% manganese.
  • Other minerals it contains include potassium, phosphorus, zinc, and selenium.

However, 100 grams of dark chocolate is too much to eat daily. In addition to its nutrients, dark chocolate contains 600 calories from its nutrients and sugar.

Dark chocolate contains fatty acids, both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Even though cocoa also contains caffeine and theobromine, both stimulants, it’s unlikely to keep you awake at night because the amounts are small.

Dark chocolate also contains mood-boosting chemicals that increase your serotonin and endorphin levels. All it takes to trigger the happy hormones in your brain, elevating your mood, is a small bite of dark chocolate.

The most significant feature of cocoa’s profile is its antioxidant properties, which come from the flavonoids, catechins, and polyphenols it contains. These work to neutralize free radicals and prevent the oxidative stress they cause, contributing to aging.

Over time, oxidative stress can also lead to diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and diseases affecting the eyes.

Therefore, it’s no wonder most people reach for a chocolate bar when stressed. Besides its flavonoids and antioxidants, the sensory pleasure of chocolate melting in your mouth delivers a calming sensation that creates a sense of mindfulness and relaxation.

How Does Chocolate Relieve Stress

Recent research showed that those with stress can reduce their stress hormone levels when eating dark chocolate. Scientists found that eating 40 grams of dark chocolate or the equivalent of a medium-sized bar every day for two weeks can reduce cortisol and neurohormonal levels.

These findings add to some of dark chocolate’s recently discovered potential health benefits. For example, scientists have found that cocoa’s rich antioxidants (flavonoids) have many health benefits.

Scientists at the Nestlé research Centre in Switzerland conducted a detailed study of how dark chocolate reduces stress. They examined the effects of chocolate on the blood and urine stress measures of 30 healthy participants who were given 40 grams of dark chocolate daily for two weeks. The participants consumed the chocolate in two parts, half mid-morning and the other half mid-afternoon.

Blood and urine samples were taken before and after the study, helping the researchers determine their anxiety levels before and after the study. The results of the two-week study showed that people with high anxiety levels had reduced stress hormone levels after two weeks.

The researchers also found that dark chocolate benefited the participants’ metabolism and gut bacteria activity.

Cocoa’s Stress Relieving Chemicals

Researchers continue to uncover the fascinating combination of cocoa’s components that contribute to the health benefits of chocolate consumption. So, it’s not only one ingredient in chocolate that relaxes you. Instead, you can thank an incredible chemistry of amino acids, hormones, and endorphins that help relieve stress.

Chocolate’s stress-relieving chemicals create a complex interaction with the brain, explaining why you crave chocolate as your stress levels rise.

Let’s examine them closely:

Theobromine

Theobromine is related to caffeine, but it’s friendlier. It has many health benefits, including a mood boost after consuming chocolate. However, because it harms cats and dogs, keep your chocolate treats away from your pets.

Phenethylamine

Chocolate also contains noteworthy quantities of the “love chemical” phenethylamine (PEA). PEA is a neuroactive substance that gives chocolate its century-old reputation as an aphrodisiac. Now, scientists understand more about how chocolate triggers feelings of joy. PEA helps the body produce mood-altering serotonin and dopamine, the feel-good chemicals that help us relax and feel less stressed. That’s the feeling you get when you eat some your favourite chocolate.

Tryptophan

Chocolate is a good source of tryptophan, a vital amino acid that aids serotonin production. Low serotonin levels are definite markers of moodiness and anxiety. Eating some chocolate will increase the levels of this “happy hormone.”

Antioxidants

Dark chocolate has the highest levels of antioxidants than most foods, including red wine, giving it a good reputation as an improver of overall well-being and improved cognitive function. These antioxidants include flavanols, polyphenols, and catechins.

Magnesium

Magnesium is one of the many nutrients found in chocolate. However, it’s the only one mentioned here because it’s known to help reduce stress, anxiety, insomnia, and irritability. The body cannot produce magnesium naturally, so you need to get it from your diet. If you have chocolate cravings, you are probably magnesium deficient.

Cannabinoid-Like Compounds

Chocolate also contains cannabinoid-like compounds that increase anandamide levels. When eating chocolate, increasing these levels creates a ‘bliss molecule” that relieves stress by encouraging relaxation.

Choosing the Right Chocolate

When choosing the right chocolate for stress relief, it’s evident that the darker the chocolate, the more it can provide you with all cocoa’s benefits. As the study above showed, 40 grams of dark chocolate consumed over two weeks positively affects stress levels. Chocolate also inhibits the creation of cortisol and helps people with low-lying anxiety.

However, even a darker milk chocolate helps reduce stress. That’s because dairy milk contains one of the highest levels of tryptophan available in foods. However, you can combine the excellent source of tryptophan with a superb quality cocoa powder to make yourself a bedtime hot chocolate, and you get all the benefits of the tryptophan in the milk with all the other beneficial cocktail of chemicals found in cocoa.

Chocolate for Stress Relief Discover the soothing effects of dark chocolate on stress and memory. Learn how cocoa's antioxidants and mood-boosting chemicals like theobromine and phenethylamine alleviate stress and promote relaxation. Explore the science behind chocolate's stress-relieving properties and find out how to choose the right chocolate for optimal stress relief. 1

Even if you choose lighter milk or white chocolate, you will still benefit from the higher milk and sugar content to boost serotonin and endorphin production. Therefore, no one can criticize you for eating a bit of your favourite chocolate for stress relief and for lifting your mood. Just do so mindfully to enjoy the experience of the texture and flavour sensations, as long as you don’t overindulge.