Dark chocolate reduces depression

Adarsh Rout, Bhubaneswar:  It is food news guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Scientists have found that eating dark chocolate lowers the risk of depression fourfold after eating it.

While 7.6 per cent of the 13,000 people surveyed reported depressive symptoms, just 1.5 per cent of the chocolate eaters did.

The study carried out by University College London (UCL) also found that the people who consumed the most of any chocolate – between 104 grams and 454 grams – were also 57 per cent less likely to report depressive symptoms.

Dr Sarah Jackson, the lead author from UCL’s Institute of Epidemiology & Healthcare, said: “This study provides some evidence that consumption of chocolate, particularly dark chocolate, may be associated with reduced odds of clinically relevant depressive symptoms.

“However, further research is required to clarify the direction of causation. It could be the case that depression causes people to lose their interest in eating chocolate, or there could be other factors that make people both less likely to eat dark chocolate and to be depressed.”

The study is the first to examine the association between depression and the type of chocolate consumed. Dr Jackson added: “Should a causal relationship demonstrating a protective effect of chocolate consumption on depressive symptoms be established, the biological mechanism needs to be understood to determine the type and amount of chocolate consumption for optimal depression prevention and management.”