Does eating dark chocolate make you happy? – Italian Cuisine


This was stated by a study by the University College of London. Not only: people who, in general, eat more chocolate, regardless of type, have fewer depressive symptoms than others

It will not be the best choice for the line, but when the mood worsens and stress assails us, eating chocolate is a lifeline to hand. Researchers have long used many resources to study the beneficial effects on the body and mind of a few squares, and many studies now confirm that cocoa and chocolate contain different substances capable of act on mood. But now a new research, conducted byUniversity College of London Epidemiology & Health Care, goes further, and states that "people who eat dark chocolate would have one 70% lower probability to report clinically relevant depressive symptoms compared to those who have reported never eating them. "

That's it? The team ofUCL worked in collaboration with scientists from theUniversity of Calgary and ofAlberta Health Services Canada. It is worth pointing out that, as far as we know, this study has not received funding from any chocolate manufacturer: the researchers published their results in the journal Depression & Anxiety.

Scientists controlled a large number of variables, including weight, height, marital status, education, ethnicity, income, levels of education, smoking and other health conditions. They used the data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of the United States and, after excluding underweight people and diabetics, tested a sample of over 13 thousand participants older than 20 years.

They then evaluated depressive symptoms using the Patient Health Questionnaire, which is a standard diagnostic tool for mental health disorders. Overall, 1,332 (11.1%) participants reported eating chocolate and, of these, 148 said they consumed dark chocolate.

In addition to concluding that those who consume dark chocolate are 70% less likely to have depression, the study also found that people who eat more chocolate in general, regardless of type, have less depressive symptoms of the others.

Does eating dark chocolate make you happy?

The researchers, however, ask caution: the study is observational: it cannot be concluded that chocolate relieves depression. The lead author, Sarah Jackson of theUCL, states: "Further research is needed to clarify the causal link: it could be that depression causes people to lose interest in chocolate consumption, or there may be other factors that make people less likely to eat dark chocolate and be depressed . In short, we need more information. Meanwhile, a small square of chocolate remains a small absolute pleasure, and no scientific evidence is needed to prove it.

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