A new research from the Swinburne University of Technology discovered that consuming dark chocolate could lead to a better mood.
Several studies in the past linked to the benefits of chocolate have proved that its consumption is good in many ways. Here is another study which proves the benefits of eating chocolate. In the current study, researchers have found that dark chocolate can boost calmness and contentedness. So if you are feeling low, do not pop a pill or puff a smoke.
There is a better way to boost your mood - nibbling on dark chocolate. The study shows that dark chocolate with high percentage of cocoa is the answer to anxiety and contentment.
Cocoa contains compounds of polyphenols which are abundant in plants and also a part of human diet. These are known to reduce oxidative stress if used in our diets.
"Anecdotally, chocolate is often linked to mood enhancement," Swinburne PhD candidate and lead author of the study Matthew Pase said, according to a news release. "This clinical trial is perhaps the first to scientifically demonstrate the positive effects of cocoa polyphenols on mood."
For the study, Pase and his team included 72 healthy men and women aged between 40 to 65 years. Participants were randomly divided into three groups and received a dark chocolate drink mix with different cocoa polyphenol proportions. Participants were either given 500mg, 250mg, or 0mg of cocoa polyphenols added in their chocolate mix drinks, which were given to them for 30 days. All the drinks were packed in the same design so the difference in the cocoa content was not identified.
After a 30-day trial, participants who consumed the maximum concentration of cocoa polyphenols reported greater content and calmness, while the other two groups did not experience any significant changes.
Hence, the researchers concluded that 500mg of cocoa polyphenols reported a significant mood enhancement than the moderate 250mg and 0mg of cocoa polyphenols consumption.
The findings of the study are published in an online journal of Psychopharmacology.
