The next time you¡¯re stressed about a work deadline, or a situation with your family at home, just shove a chocolate bar in your gob.
As it turns out, while it isn¡¯t a magical cure-all, chocolate does in fact reduce stress levels.
Two new studies out from the Loma Linda University, presented at the Experimental Biology 2018 conference, show that chocolate fiends may actually have an advantage when it comes to chilling out. Apparently chowing down on some dark chocolate, which has a high concentration of cacao, can reduce stress levels and inflammation, and boost your mood, memory, and immunity.
The scientists found a direct link between the amount of cacao ingested and these benefits, with a higher concentration doling out better results. That¡¯s because the flavonoids found in cacao are extremely potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents.
Indeed, the scientists found that chocolate consumption can boost your cellular immune response and genes involved in neural signaling and sensory perception, among other things. Basically, chocolate is probably going to make you fat, but at least your brain will be healthy right?