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It’s no secret: Americans love chocolate.
Each person consumes an average of between 10 and 12 pounds of chocolate each year – nearly 3 billion pounds total. A recent study from the National Confectioners Association showed people in the U.S. enjoy chocolate and candy between two and three times a week.
But chocolate, which comes from cocoa harvested in West Africa and South America, isn’t just a sweet treat. Cocoa and chocolate have been shown to reduce stress and raise energy levels — effects that are greatly appreciated during the busy and at times, stressful holiday season.
One kind of chocolate reigns supreme when it comes to these and other health benefits. Dark chocolate contains more cocoa and less sugar than milk or white chocolate.
“Research continues to point to dark chocolate as having many health benefits,” the Mayo Clinic says.
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Eating dark chocolate has been proven to lower the stress hormone cortisol (Getty Images)
A blissful break
If you’re looking for a delicious way to reduce your stress levels, researchers say look no further than dark chocolate. A South Korean study showed people who ate 10 grams of dark chocolate, three times a day for three weeks, felt their mood improve.
Several separate studies have also shown that eating dark chocolate reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Just a bite of a dark chocolate bar might be enough to feel the stress slide away, according to Hartford HealthCare.
“Also, the antioxidants in cocoa trigger the walls of you blood vessels to relax, lowering blood pressure and improving circulation,” the health care system noted. “Go for varieties that contain at least 70 percent cocoa.”
The higher the cocoa percentage in your chocolate, the more health benefits.
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Dark chocolate is rich in flavonoids, which are antioxidants found in food that fight inflammation. (Getty Images)
Proof is in the (dark chocolate) pudding
Still, stress relief is not all that comes with a higher percentage of cocoa. “The higher percentage of cacao solids, the more flavonoids and the lower sugar,” registered dietitian Devon Peart told The Cleveland Clinic.
Dark chocolate is rich in flavonoids, antioxidants found in food that fight inflammation.
The flavonoids in chocolate have been shown to boost endurance in athletes by increasing blood circulation and reducing the amount of oxygen they use during exercise, Johns Hopkins Medicine says. People who eat dark chocolate can stay active longer.
Nearly all dark chocolate has energy-boosting caffeine, too. People can get 20 milligrams in 30 grams of dark chocolate, according to the chocolate-maker Lindt.
However, it’s still a much lower amount than the 96 milligrams in a cup of coffee.