Dark Chocolate and Depression Symptoms….Link?

In recent years, there have been studies that link chocolate consumption to lower risk of depression. However, is this true? Previous research into the matter has not controlled for other variables. There also hasn’t been much study into seeing which type of chocolate is best associated with a lower risk of depression. A recent study published in Depression & Anxiety attempts to fill in both of these research gaps. Here are the results.
Researchers reviewed 13,626 people who took part in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and Public Health Questionnaire-9 to see if there were any correlations. Around 1.4% of respondents reported eating dark chocolate. It was found that those who ate dark chocolate had significantly lower odds of clinically relevant depressive symptoms. The study also found that those who ate the most chocolate had 57% lower depressive symptoms than those who did not eat any.
The study did not find if there was long term symptom reduction associated with chocolate consumption. Researchers also note that further studies are needed to determine if the relationship is casual.
Remember, with chocolate consumption, it’s about moderation. A little bit of chocolate is fine but too much chocolate can be bad for overall health.
Source: Jackson, Sarah E., et al. “Is There a Relationship between Chocolate Consumption and Symptoms of Depression? A Cross‐Sectional Survey of 13,626 US Adults – Jackson – – Depression and Anxiety – Wiley Online Library.” Depression and Anxiety, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 29 July 2019, onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/da.22950.