Chocolate Makes You Feel Good!

Chocolate has long been known to trigger surges in serotonin, which is a chemical that wards off anxiety and elevates your mood. Research is now revealing that the dark high cacao percentage can also give you a surge in energy. In a study at Hull York Medical School in the UK, a 1.6 oz. daily serving helped alleviate symptoms of chronic fatigue by 30 percent over the course of 8 weeks. Stephen Atkin, Ph.D., study author, credits the polyphenols in chocolate-the same substances that lower blood pressure, as proven by a separate study at the Univesrsity Hospital of Cologne in Germany. In order to get the biggest polyphenol dose, Atkin recommends selecting products containing at least 70 percent cacao.
 


Aztec Emperor Montezuma is quoted as having said of xocoatl(a bitter cacao-bean drink): “The divine drink, which builds up resistance and fights fatigue. A cup of this drink permits a man to walk a whole day without food.” It is recorded that Montezuma drank fifty goblets of xocoatl each day.