Men who take to the gym to pound away at punch-bags to relieve stress may be better off sitting back and experiencing the benefits of unsweetened chocolate.
Scientists in Holland and Switzerland gave a group of volunteers a 20g piece of dark chocolate in the morning and the evening.
They then monitored their stress hormone levels and found that the treat cuts stress levels and rebalanced body chemicals at times of high anxiety.
It took just two weeks for the cocoa-based "medicine" to have a positive effect.
The study, published in the Journal of Proteome Research, found that there was "strong evidence that a daily consumption of 40 grams (1.4 ounces) during a period of two weeks is sufficient to modify the metabolism of healthy human volunteers".
Nestle researcher Sunil Kochhar, who lead the study, said that reduction of stress levels had long-term benefits for people's health.
But before you cancel your gym membership and throw out your running sneaker, be aware that dietitian spoiled the news by reminding people that chocolate, which is high in sugar and fat, should only be eaten as part of a healthy balanced diet.
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