Chocolate Can Make You Feel Calmer And Happier, According To Science

Have you ever found that when you're in a bad mood, you start craving chocolate? There may actually be a reason behind that.

According to a study published by researchers at the Swinburne University of Technology in Australia, the antioxidants found abundantly in dark chocolate, polyphenols, can actually help us to feel calmer and more content.

"Anecdotally, chocolate is often linked to mood enhancement," said lead author of the study, Matthew Pase from the university. "This clinical trial was perhaps one of the first to scientifically demonstrate the positive effects of cocoa polyphenols on mood."

The team conducted research on healthy men and women and gave the variables a dark chocolate drink to have every day, while the constants kept their diet the same. Immediately, those who had chocolate reported having better moods, and feeling more content and calm than those who had not drank the chocolate concoction. The limitations of this study are obvious: Self-reporting of moods is naturally a flawed system. It's possible the participants were just happier because they were eating a delicious treat, according to Science Alert.

But a different study suggests that eating chocolate could improve brain function. Either way, we now have our excuses to indulge in a little chocolate now and then.