Eating more
chocolate is associated with higher depression scores. Researchers
assessed the mood of 931 participants who were not taking antidepressants using
a standard depression scale. They then correlated the results from those
with a food survey. Those who scored very highly, reflecting probable
major depression, reported consuming more than twice as much chocolate as those
who were negative for depression. The findings were similar between women
and men. The researchers speculate that depression may stimulate cravings
for chocolate as a form of self-medication. Animal studies suggest that
chocolate may have positive mood benefits, however, they cannot rule out the
possibility that chocolate actually contributes to the depressed mood, or that
both cravings and depressed mood are caused by a third, underlying
factor. The report is in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
