SOME MORE DARK SECRETS REVEALED

A recent study talks about added effects of dark chocolate. Read on Dark chocolate is not just a sinful indulgence, it also has certain medical benefits which you may have read about. But now there are more. A recent study have revealed new medical benefits of this dark delight — a few added reasons to indulge your sweet tooth.  PROTECTION AGAINST THE SUN'S AGEING EFFECTS      Dark chocolate can protect the skin against the ageing effects influenced by the sun, says a new research. According to scientists who carried out the study at European Dermatology London, UK, a daily portion of dark chocolate may also lower the risk of skin cancer. But it only works with dark chocolate that is very high in flavanols, the antioxidants that occur naturally in cocoa beans, reports a daily.      In the research, scientists found that participants who ate flavanol-rich chocolate could tolerate more wrinkle-causing UV light on their skin than those who ate a lower-flavanol chocolate. The researchers said, "The main mechanism is likely to be anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. But conventional chocolate had no such effect."  GOOD STRESS BUSTER      An Indian-origin researcher has provided people worldwide the perfect excuse to grab a bar of chocolate: eating dark chocolate every day can reduce stress. The study, published online in ACS' Journal of Proteome Research claims that an ounce and a half of dark chocolate (just a little over 40 gm) a day for two weeks reduces levels of stress hormones. Also, it was noted that chocolates partially corrected other stress-related biochemical imbalances.      The researcher and his team took into account the scientific evidence of the benefits of chocolate consumption for their study. Their special focus was on antioxidants and other beneficial substances in dark chocolate. The scientists identified reductions in stress hormones and other stressrelated biochemical changes in volunteers, who rated themselves as highly stressed and ate dark chocolate for two weeks. The researchers said, "The study provides strong evidence that a daily consumption of 40 gm of chocolate during a period of two weeks is sufficient to modify the metabolism of healthy human volunteers." EAT UP: Dark chocolate is as much medically beneficial as it is a sinful indulgence