World of Psychology

Chocolate and Mood Disorders

By Diana L. Walcutt, Ph.D
April 27, 2009

Isn’t it great that we can have something that is not only good for us, but fun to use? I’m talking about chocolate! Yes sir, dark gold, pure happiness! You’ve probably heard the buzz about dark chocolate, and how it’s good for your blood pressure, lowers cholesterol, prevents cancer and can fix nearly anything that is wrong with you, except that expanding waistline. (And for the record — white chocolate is not really chocolate at all. It’s milk solids and fat. No cocoa. Nada.)

The basic ingredients of dark chocolate include cacao beans, sugar, soy lecithin (an emulsifier to preserve texture), and flavorings. This yummy treat, which contains fewer milk solids than its more popular cousin, milk chocolate, often is rated by the percentage of cocoa solids in the bar. The cocoa content of commercial dark chocolate bars can range from 30 percent to above 80 percent.

Some of dark chocolate’s benefits come from resveratrol, an antioxidant (immune system booster) found in red wine, among other products. Its mental health benefits include the ability to boost brain levels of endorphins (natural opiates) as well as serotonin (a mood-altering chemical on which many antidepressants act). Because it can increase serotonin levels in the brain, dark chocolate also may increase serotonin production in the gut, and thus help your immune system.

But before you decide to switch to an all-dark-chocolate diet and throw away the rabbit food, keep this in mind: The recommended dose is one ounce per day. It doesn’t sound like much, but it may help reduce blood pressure and increase arterial blood flow, reduce the chance of blood clots and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Here’s another dietary caution: Downing a glass of milk along with your ounce of dark chocolate negates all the good stuff. Research has shown that milk interferes with the absorption of the antioxidants. So, in that case, all you get are the calories. Bummer.

If that isn’t enough to convince you not to go wild in the candy aisle, try this: Eating too much chocolate each day can cause complications including migraines, weight gain, digestive tract problems (such as diarrhea), kidney stones and heartburn. Dark chocolate seems to have less of an impact on heartburn than milk chocolate and it may also be less of a problem in gallbladder disease, but no promises there. And all chocolate contains caffeine, which is a problem for some as well. As always, if you have any dietary restrictions, talk with your primary care physician before making any big changes.


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9 Comments to
“Chocolate and Mood Disorders”

I knew that….
What’s too much at night ? Caffein doesn’t bother me but not having enough dark chocolate does.

Uh, hmmm. I eat chocolate every day. I am still size 4, 122 lbs., no cavities, low BP. How? I eat the Mediterranean diet and swim regularly. So, not sure about you’re advice too much can pack on the weight? Where oh where is it? BTW: I’m 56. Oh, no heartburn, headaches (sinus on occasion because I live in low humidity), or digestive woes. And while I do favor 70% cocoa content chocolates, white chocolate and even milk chocolate have some perks.

P.S. I meant to say “your” advice. And you’re going to feel happy, like me, if you eat fine chocolate–it contains hundreds of feel-good compounds, not just caffeine and sugar.

Great article about chocolate. Unfortunately, I don’t think it applies to the good stuff like Oreo’s. :)

My favorite is the Black & Green dark chocolate. Mmm. . . that stuff is good. A great site to learn more about the resveratrol benefits is http://www.benefits-of-resveratrol.com

Although, I don’t think they give away free chocolate samples.

Thanks for the article - it’s always fun to read about chocolate. Unfortunately, you got the whole white chocolate issue wrong: while it’s true that it does not contain cocoa powder, it does indeed contain cocoa butter, which is the fat from cocoa. Anyway, this is enough for me to consider white chocolate a type of chocolate. Thanks again!

Hi Diana,

I just wanted to point out that I have my hands on a chocolate that actually has an entire WEIGHT-LOSS program revolving around it! The same company also has recently introduced a PROBIOTIC Chocolate.

I have been taking the products actively for almost a year now, and BECAUSE They are the HIGHEST Antioxidant source in the world (UNPROCESSED cocoa & Acai Berry!!) I have had great health results, from an antioxidant and weight loss standpoint!

I just wanted to let people know because It has been so GREAT!!

Amin

Hi Diana,

I am currently using healthy dark chocolate to lose weight and address health issues such as high blood pressure and atherosclerosis. I am excited about the research and science behind healthy dark chocolate. I was not a chocoholic and did not like dark chocolate, I know sounds insane not to like dark chocolate, but I love what I am eating.

Just want everyone to know there is such a thing as healthy dark chocolate. It is the same chocolate referred to by Amin in the previous post.

Bev

Dear Dr. I sincerely appreciate the publication of your approach and attitude to dark chocolate.
Seven years ago I started with eating three quarters to a whole 100g Lindt Excellence 85 to 90% dark chocolate bar
with two to five banana’s on a daily basis. I did this in order to prevent and arrest the many symptoms that would have otherwise been treated with counselling and prescriptions. At many times I could have been labelled with the SAD or Bi-polar disorder, ADD or ADHD, a neurotic, physco psuemadic manic depressive type.
It seemed I was always on a roller coast of unpredictability with irregular and difficult periods, quick tempered mood swings, random emotional bursts,extreme highs and lows, muscle and joint pain and stiffness, regular headaches causing the occasional blinding type migraines with debilitating hangovers, sugar and starch cravings that inevitably disturbed my digestive health and left me lethargic, listless and up and down with weight. This stuff ruled me and my life , . Well as you can see, that’s a long winded list of symptoms. It sounds awfully depressing and it was. When I saw and felt what traditional dark chocolate (dutched or heated) did for my over all health in so many areas, I refused to be with out it for even ONE day! I knew it was addressing a multitude of issues and was a real solution so accepted the inevitable weight gain gracefully and enjoyed these foods as staples.
Three years ago an add describing “Healthy Chocolate” caught my attention. Without much information I signed up for it and enjoyed it daily. Three to five (or more sometimes!) big delicious mouthfuls of this gold nugget chocolate chunk that I was not to chew but to let melt. It was so delicious, rich and soothing.
I enjoyed them shamelessly without the guilt and the health consequences of the fattening and clogging traditional alternatives. It is was so satisfying that I didn’t crave the old food anymore and became hungry without an apitite therefore naturally making better choices. I didn’t even notice the symptoms of all those afflictions lift from me. I was steady, stable and content.
Two years later I ran out it while working in Northern Alberta. It was the first time with out any of the “healthy Chocolate” type of chocolate. All the gourmet and health food type chocolate including my trusted Lindt were leaving me literally on my back. It seemed that each day that passed became another slide back down to the horrors of the past with the emotional insanity difficult periods, cravings, physical pain and stiffness, migraines and depressions all returning in full force. Thankfully I found it and thankfully I lost it just to realize what a saving grace this product has been. I am a testament to the benefits of this miraculous wonder of nature. It is the raw, cold pressed chocolate that did it. I am compelled to share this story and it’s many sides with all my fellows as we all deserve to feel this ‘bliss’ and sence of well being . Not to mention getting to fill their mouths with this delicious chocolate every day. It’s even deemed a health food by Health Canada now. Science Daily published an article stating it “may rival the discovery of penicilian and anesthetic”.

So eat it ! we need it ! Sincerely, Chocolady. Chocolateforloveandhealth.

I know about the benefits of chocolate - dark chocolate to be excat.

Resveratrol is found in the extract of the cocoa bean, and if you can get resveratrol without all of the sugar, then it can be a help for weight loss.

I’ve lost almost 180 pounds with the help of resveratrol supplements - and a lot of hard work!

Jen

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 24 Apr 2009

 


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