Washington, November 12 An Indian-origin researcher has provided people worldwide the perfect excuse to grab a choco bar: 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 a day for two weeks reduces levels of stress hormones in the body.

Also, it was noted that chocolates partially corrected other stress-related biochemical imbalances.

Sunil Kochhar 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 that reduce risk factors for heart disease and other physical conditions.

The scientists identified reductions in stress hormones and other stress-related 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 grams [1.4 ounces] during a period of 2 weeks is sufficient to modify the metabolism of healthy human volunteers." (ANI)