A new study suggests that dark chocolate can help in anger management! Researchers claim that the polyphenols in dark chocolate increase calmness and the sense of contentment!  Polyphenols are found naturally in plants and are a basic component of the human diet. These compounds have been shown to reduce oxidative stress which is associated with many diseases. They may also have beneficial psychological effects, scientists believe.

‘Anecdotally, chocolate is often linked to mood enhancement,’ said lead author of the study, Matthew Pase, from Swinburne University of Technology, Australia. ‘This clinical trial is perhaps the first to scientifically demonstrate the positive effects of cocoa polyphenols on mood,’ Pase said.

Seventy-two healthy men and women aged 40-65 years took part in the randomised study to receive a dark chocolate drink mix standardised to contain either 500 mg of cocoa polyphenols, 250 mg of cocoa polyphenols or 0 mg of cocoa polyphenols. The drink mixes were given to participants in identical packaging so that both the investigators and participants were unaware of which treatment they were receiving. Participants drank their assigned drink once a day for 30 days.

After 30 days, those who drank the high dose concentration of cocoa polyphenols reported greater calmness and contentedness than those who drank either of the other drink mixes. The researchers did not find any evidence that cocoa polyphenols significantly improved cognitive performance.

Additionally, only those who consumed the highest amount of polyphenols (500 mg per day) reported any significant positive effects. Participants who consumed a moderate amount (250 mg per day) reported no significant effects. The study was published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.

Earlier research has shown that dark chocolate has immense health benefits but only when consumed in moderate amounts. It’s supposed to keep heart disease away, lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol.

Here are some of the some benefits of dark chocolate:

1. Reduces heart attack risk – Antioxidants protect the body from aging caused by free radicals, which can suppress the chances of heart attacks. Also it is the oxidative damage by free radicals that is responsible for cancer.

2. Lowers blood pressure – Flavonoids (the antioxidants in chocolate) lower high blood pressure through the production of nitric acid and helps maintain hormonal balance.

3. Lowers cholesterol- Dark chocolate Lowers LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) by 10% according to some studies.

4. Makes you happy – Like exercising, chocolate stimulates endorphin production which gives an immense sense of pleasure. Alcohol too gives an endorphin high but then chocolate is a much healthier option and isn’t known to cause liver damage.

5. Lowers depression – Chocolate raises your serotonin level (neurotransmitter) which acts as an anti-depressant.

6. Acts as a stimulant – Theobromine can be described as a stimulant similar to caffeine but without affecting the Central Nervous System to a great extent which gives a similar feel-good effect.

7. Mostly contains good fat – Chocolate contains three kinds of fat in equal proportion:

The Good: Oleic Acid is a healthy monounsaturated fat that occurs in olive oil as well.

The Neutral: Stearic Acid is a saturated fat but one which research shows has no effect on cholesterol levels.

The Ugly: Palmitic Acid is also a saturated fat (the bad fat), one which raises cholesterol and heart disease risk. So we can see 2/3 of the fat from dark chocolate isn’t bad at all. We are not saying that you tuck into a pound of chocolate a day though.

8. Acts as an aphrodisiac – Chocolate has long been linked to sexual desire. In fact it was the Aztecs who drew a connection between cocoa beans and libido. Chocolate contains two chemicals with aphrodisiac qualities: tryptophan (building block of serotonin) a brain chemical involved in sexual arousal and  phenylethylamine, a stimulant related to amphetamine, which is released in the brain when people fall in love.

9. Contains lots of natural minerals – As a plant-based cocoa contains many naturally occurring minerals that boost your health. Some of them are copper, iron, magnesium, potassium and calcium.

Overconsumption of dark chocolate may lead to obesity and other related diseases