Safety professionals often struggle to manage stress in their employees and themselves but new research has found links between the consumption of chocolate and a reduction in stress.
The study in the Journal of Proteome Research entitled “Metabolic Effects of Dark Chocolate Consumption on Energy, Gut Microbiota, and Stress-Related Metabolism in Free-Living Subjects” says
“The daily consumption of dark chocolate resulted in a significant modification of the metabolism of healthy and free living human volunteers with potential long-term consequences on human health within only 2 weeks treatment. This was observable through the reduction of levels of stress-associated hormones and normalization of the systemic stress metabolic signatures.”
Of course, it would be silly to try to control stress by gorging constantly on dark chocolate, regardless of how attractive that may be. Stress management is best controlled be preventing stress in the first instance, a much harder challenge than supplying chocolate but, corporately and professionally, more fulfilling.
The fact that the 11 November 2009 media release was re-released a couple of weeks prior to Valentine’s Day may do the researchers a disservice at the same time as renewing attention in the research.
Without questioning the veracity of the research, it is important to note that in the acknowledgements in the article, thanks is given to the Nestle Research Center.