Great news Flava fans! A new placebo controlled study of 60 healthy, middle-aged women from Japan shows cocoa flavanols statistically increase positive mood states while reducing negative mood (e.g., depression, fatigue, and anger). This was achieved by consuming a high flavanol cocoa beverage daily, for eight weeks. The study was recently published in the journal Nutrients.
These findings build on a growing base of evidence showing cocoa flavanols support stress reduction and mood, including a study published in the journal Antioxidants showing a 29% reduction in cortisol levels (the stress hormone) with daily consumption of high-flavanol dark chocolate containing 500mg of cocoa flavanols. Another study out of Swinburne University revealed that daily consumption of the same 500mg of cocoa flavanols increased participants’ calm and contentedness relative to a placebo group. And, in a recent survey of 2,000 American women, 85% reported that chocolate makes them happy.
Yet another reason to enjoy your high flavanol cocoa powder and dark chocolate everyday!