エレベーターに乗り、ヘッドラインニュースみたいなのを流しているモニターを見るのが、ワタクシの朝の出勤習慣です。８階まではあっという間についてしまうので、せいぜい3つ程度しかチェックできないのですが、今日見つけたのは、タイトルどおり、チョコレートとストレスの関係。ダークチョコレートを毎朝夕にそれぞれ20g食べてもらって、ストレスホルモンレベルをモニターしたそうです。

A group of men and women ate 20g of dark chocolate – roughly half a small bar – morning and evening and scientists monitored their stress hormone production.

The high hormone levels in those under the most pressure fell after just two weeks of chocolate therapy, the Journal of Proteome Research reports.

Researcher Sunil Kochhar, who works for Nestle, said the study by Dutch and Swiss scientists ‘provides strong evidence that a daily consumption of 40g is sufficient to modify the metabolism of healthy volunteers’.

He added that stress reduction has long-term health benefits.

Other recent research has shown that just a 6.7g chunk of dark chocolate a day – a quarter of an ounce – could cut the risk of heart disease by up to a third.

The benefits were attributed to flavanols, plant chemicals that cut inflammation linked to heart disease, as well as reducing blood clots and helping to keep diabetes and high blood pressure in check.

Dieticians recommend caution, however, stressing that chocolate is high in fat and sugar and should be eaten only as part of a balanced diet.

これを続けて2週間後にストレスレベルが下がるとはっ！ほかにも、心臓疾患云々とか血栓を防ぐとか、いいですねぇ。

先日、Wholefoodsに行ったときに買ったお気に入りのTruffleを心置きなく食べられます。早速、朝晩20g!