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 study done by several universities in California, 900 men and women were questioned about their chocolate consumption. None of the participants were on anti-depressants. The goal of the study was to find out how much chocolate the men and women ate on a regular basis and how often they ate the sugary treat.
In the study the scientists used a commonly accepted depression scale to assess the mood of the participants. What they found was a definite relationship between feelings of depression in the men and women and the consumption of chocolate.
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.
As much as researchers have learned from these studies, it's clear that a lot more needs to be learned about the link between chocolate and depression.
In a study done by several universities in California, 900 men and women were questioned about their chocolate consumption. None of the participants were on anti-depressants. The goal of the study was to find out how much chocolate the men and women ate on a regular basis and how often they ate the sugary treat.
In the study the scientists used a commonly accepted depression scale to assess the mood of the participants. What they found was a definite relationship between feelings of depression in the men and women and the consumption of chocolate.
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.
As much as researchers have learned from these studies, it's clear that a lot more needs to be learned about the link between chocolate and depression.
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