When you’re feeling depressed you may be tempted to reach for a piece of chocolate, but have you ever wondered why? Studies indicate that the delicious treat has mood-enhancing effects. Not surprisingly, scientists have found that people who are depressed eat more chocolate than those not suffering from depression.
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.
The researchers assessed the participant’s mood using a widely accepted depression scale. What they found was a definite link between the feelings of depression in men and women and the consumption of chocolate.
Their study showed that on average, people who were suffering from depression ate about eight and a half servings of chocolate each month. By comparison, participants who were not feeling depressed ate an average of five and a half servings of chocolate monthly.
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.
Researchers have found that chocolate has mood-lifting benefits by the release of endorphins. Unfortunately, the process can have a cyclical effect – that by consuming a lot of chocolate, people may feel more depressed and want to eat more chocolate to feel better.
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.
Refer to various other articles created by this same writer regarding subject matters such as popcorn oil and popcorn machine supply.
categories: depression,self help,advice,chocolate,stress management,stress,food,research,self help,chocolate,health,lifestyle,psychology,self improvement