Your dreams may have just come true, there is now a healthy reason to eat chocolate.   A recent study done by the Nestle Research Center in Lausanne, Switzerland, showed that eating dark chocolate helped reduce the levels of stress hormones in people who had high anxiety levels.  This study had participants eat a candy bar  of approximately 1.4 ounces each day for two weeks.

Blood test later revealed a reduced level of cortisol, a stress hormone, as well as an increase in flavonoids (an antioxidant).  Higher intakes of chocolate did not prove to increase the levels of cortisol or flavonoids.  The researchers cautioned that chocolate contains a high level of sugar and eating large amounts can have negative health effects.  Increases in your physical weight can lead to heart disease, diabetes and other health related problems.  Moderation will be the key in enjoying the beneficial effects of chocolate while still maintaining a healthy life style.

So go ahead and enjoy chocolate this holiday season. For us chocoholics, we can feel a little less guilt about our intake of the sweet indulgence.   Happy Holidays!