More Groovy Science 3

Another science extravaganza! Here are some recent interesting studies:

• Dark Chocolate Lowers Blood Pressure


• Anxiety May Be at Root of Religious Extremism


• Brain Differences Found Between Believers In God And Non-Believers


• Honey as an Antibiotic: Scientists Identify a Secret Ingredient in Honey That Kills Bacteria


• Honey Bee Venom May Help Design New Treatments to Alleviate Muscular Dystrophy, Depression and Dementia


• How Fast Can Microbes Break Down Oil Washed Onto Gulf Beaches?


• Bicycling, Brisk Walking Help Women Control Weight


• Nano-Sized Advance Toward Next Big Treatment Era in Dentistry


• Complex, Multicellular Life from Over Two Billion Years Ago Discovered


• Cocoa Flavanols Improve Vascular and Blood Pressure Measures for Coronary Artery Disease Patients


• Road Surface Purifies Air by Removing Nitrogen Oxides


• Cell Phone Microscope Poised to Begin Trials in Africa


• Tibetan Adaptation to High Altitude Occurred in Less Than 3,000 Years

Dark Chocolate and Other Tidbits of Goodness

If you're like me, and you enjoy dark chocolate, then I have some studies to share with you! I think they'll be helpful for the holidays as well as generally beneficial throughout the year. If you don't like chocolate (WTF, just kidding), see below for swine flu info, and other linky goodness.

Dark Chocolate Helps Ease Emotional Stress: A new study found that eating about an ounce and a half of dark chocolate a day for two weeks reduced levels of stress hormones in people who felt highly stressed. The chocolate also partially corrected other stress-related biochemical imbalances. "The study provides strong evidence that a daily consumption of 40 grams [1.4 ounces] during a period of 2 weeks is sufficient to modify the metabolism of healthy human volunteers," the scientists say.

That led me to a study from last December. It's rather small and involves self-reporting, but it could be a promising line for further research, and could be something you experiment with yourself to see if it works for you:

Dark Chocolate Lessens Cravings: Dark chocolate is far more filling than milk chocolate, lessening our craving for sweet, salty and fatty foods. In other words, eating dark chocolate may be an efficient way to keep your weight down over the holidays (and throughout the year!) The dark chocolate gives a feeling of satiety.