People who eat dark chocolate are less likely to be depressed – ScienceDaily

The study, published in Depression and anxiety, is the first to examine the link with depression depending on the type of chocolate consumed.

UCL researchers worked in collaboration with scientists from the University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services Canada and evaluated data from 13,626 adults in the US Health and Safety Survey. nutrition. Participants' chocolate consumption was badessed against their scores on the patient's health questionnaire, which badesses depressive symptoms.

In the cross-sectional study, a range of other factors including height, weight, marital status, ethnicity, household income, physical activity, smoking, and chronic health conditions were also included. taken into account to ensure that the study measures only the effect of chocolate on depression. symptoms.

After adjusting for these factors, it was found that people who reported eating dark chocolate in two 24-hour periods were 70% less likely to report clinically relevant depressive symptoms than those who reported not eating. of chocolate. The 25% of chocolate consumers who ate the most chocolate (of all kinds, not just black) were also less likely to report depressive symptoms than those who had never eaten. However, researchers have found no significant link between non-black chocolate consumption and clinically relevant depressive symptoms.

According to the World Health Organization, depression affects more than 300 million people worldwide and is the leading cause of disability in the world.

The lead author, Dr. Sarah Jackson (UCL Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care) said: "This study shows that consumption of chocolate, especially dark chocolate, can be badociated with a reduction in risks of clinically relevant depressive symptoms.

"However, more research is needed to clarify the direction of causality – depression may cause people to lose interest in chocolate, or other factors make people less likely to eat chocolate. black and become depressed.

"If a causal relationship demonstrating a protective effect of chocolate consumption on depressive symptoms is established, it is important to understand the biological mechanism for determining the type and amount of chocolate consumption for optimal prevention and management. of depression. "

It has been widely reported that chocolate has mood enhancing properties and several mechanisms for establishing a relationship between chocolate and mood have been proposed.

Chocolate contains mainly a number of psychoactive ingredients that produce a euphoric sensation similar to that of the cannabinoid, which is found in cannabis. It also contains phenylethylamine, a neuromodulator considered important for regulating people's moods.

Experimental evidence also suggests that mood improvements only occur if the chocolate is palatable and pleasant to eat, suggesting that the experience of tasting chocolate is an important factor, not just the ingredients present.

While this is the case for all types of chocolate, dark chocolate contains a higher concentration of flavonoids, antioxidant chemicals that enhance inflammatory patterns and play a role in the onset of depression.

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