We all know that chocolate is high in fat and calories, and milk chocolate is high in sugar and milk fats, but the more healthful version of dark chocolate may have some benefit. German and Swiss researchers find that eating just about an ounce and a half of dark chocolate a day for two weeks, lowered stress hormones in people with high anxiety. It also helped correct other chemical imbalances that are related to stress. The research did have a connection to the chocolate industry but other scientific studies show the antioxidants and other beneficial substances in dark chocolate may reduce risk factors for heart disease and other health problems.
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There may be something good about exercising in the hot New Orleans outdoors. A small study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition finds that men who worked out in the heat, ate less afterwards than when they worked out in a cooler climate-controlled environment, such as a gym. One clue for why this happened is that the men who worked out in the hotter climate had higher levels of the fullness hormone circulating in their blood. But remember overdoing it in the heat can cause dehydration and heat illness.
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And finally, previous studies have suggested that an alcoholic drink a day might help keep your mind sharper in to your senior years. But a new study suggests that it really might be something else that's helping memory. A new study finds that it is more likely that the people had higher thinking skills and better physical health to begin with. Also, the American Heart Association warns that more than three drinks per day are linked to heart disease and stroke.
