Do you wake up in the morning nervous about the day and then come home stressed about the work to come? When that study break comes around, the best stress reliever can be biting into a well-deserved piece of chocolate!  Fear not, Sailors, your trusty Anchor writer Olivia Kiene has also felt these stressful emotions and has taken it upon herself to find just the right kind of chocolate to relieve those anxiety filled days.

I began my research on a weekend when APUSH was weighing heavily on my mind. After a quick trip to my local CVS, I returned home with three types of chocolate: generic Hershey, 11% cocoa, Lake Champlain Chocolates, 43% organic cocoa, and Dagoba Organic Chocolate, 87% extra strong cocoa. Why so many different percentages of cocoa you may ask? According to The European Food Information Council the flavonoids found in cocoa help your body process nitric oxide which helps lower your blood pressure and improve heart health. Lower blood pressure equals a calmer more relaxed Olivia ready to take on any test thrown her way.

I set up my workspace from lowest to highest percent of cocoa . The Hershey chocolate tasted just the way we all know and love. It was sweet and somewhat bitter but would have tasted best in the form of a s’more. Next, I tried the 43% cocoa chocolate. There was an obvious difference in taste: while the Hershey was the sugary taste I was accustomed to, this chocolate did not taste as manufactured and was therefore not as sweet. However, it still gave me the chocolaty taste I was craving. Finally, I moved onto the 87% cocoa chocolate. I could not finish it. Not only was it lacking sweetness but it was bitter and tasted like dirt!

I came to the conclusion that although cocoa is best for your heart and blood pressure, it shouldn’t come at the cost of taste! It is important to find a happy medium between taste and health. I know in the future I will be keeping an eye out for a beneficial 20 to 45 percent of cocoa in my chocolate so that I obtain some health benefits as well as a satisfying taste, because isn’t chocolate meant to be enjoyed? If it also helps your heart and your blood pressure, then that comes as an added bonus.