Health and Exercise

For many people feeling depressed, a piece of chocolate offers them comfort and a moment of pleasure. Experts say this is due to the mood-enhancing affects of chocolate. Not surprisingly, new studies indicate that depressed people eat more chocolate than those who aren’t depressed.

In a recent study conducted by several West Coast universities, more than 900 men and women were interviewed about their chocolate eating habits. The goal was to determine how much chocolate they eat regularly and how often. None of the participants were using antidepressants.

A commonly accepted depression scale was used to gauge the mood of the participants. Scientists were able to detect a clear connection between the consumption of chocolate and feelings of depression among the participants.

The scientists found that on average, those who were depressed ate about eight and a half servings of chocolate per month. By contrast, those who were not depressed only ate about five and a half servings of chocolate in the same time period.

Moreover, participants that were considered clinically depressed consumed an average of about 12 servings of chocolate per month. However, the researchers noted that none of the participants thought the chocolate they ate aided them in treating their depression. For the study, one serving was defined as one ounce of chocolate.

Researchers conducting the study didn’t attempt to determine why depressed people eat more chocolate. They did theorize that depression stimulates cravings for comfort food such as chocolate, which then leads people to each chocolate to treat their condition.

Chocolate helps with depression because it triggers the release of endorphins. However, scientists believe it could also lead to depression because people who consume a lot of it may feel remorseful and depressed afterward.

Clearly, there are significant links between chocolate intake and depression. More information is needed to learn how the benefits of eating chocolate can be exploited for good use.

See more works written by this same writer covering products like popcorn oil popped and popcorn machine supplies.