The Wall Street Journal reports that, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, people who consume larger amounts of chocolate may be more depressed than those who eat lesser amounts of it.
“Researchers at UC San Diego and UC Davis examined chocolate consumption and other dietary intake patterns among 931 men and women who were not using antidepressants,” then screened them for depression, the Los Angeles Times reports.
“Those who screened positive for possible depression consumed an average of 8.4 servings of chocolate – defined as one ounce of chocolate candy – per month,” compared “with 5.4 servings per month among people who were not depressed.”
Bloomberg News reports that “the scientists didn’t find any evidence of a benefit from chocolate, as it didn’t seem to help people overcome their depressed mood on average.”
According to the Washington Post “The Checkup” blog, “the researchers were able to pinpoint, though, that it’s the chocolate itself – not the fat, carbs or caffeine therein – that was related to mood.”
They called for more research “to determine which of five potential scenarios best explains the chocolate-depression connection.”
So, what’s the bottom line? While, as reported in this blog in the past, small amounts of dark chocolate may be heart healthy, too much chocolate may be harmful to your mood and your waist line.
So, once again, moderation may be wise.