It is often said that "Chocolate is cheaper than therapy and you don't need an appointment." Popular claims suggest that chocolate can act as a stimulant, relaxant, euphoriant, aphrodisiac, tonic, and antidepressant. Many people believe that eating chocolate raises their spirits, creates highs, and makes them feel good. A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine examined the relationship between chocolate consumption and depressed mood in adult men and women.

Chocolate is the one of the most commonly craved foods. Since it is not a natural product, its appeal depends on its individual constituents and their specific combination. Chocolate is made from cocoa mass (the base product made from the processing cocoa beans), cocoa butter (the natural fat from cocoa beans) and sugar. Because cocoa butter melts at room temperature, it provides the creamy "melt in your mouth" sensation. When chocolate was introduced from America, Europeans added sugar to it. Dark chocolate contains all three elements (cocoa mass, cocoa butter and sugar), milk chocolate contains additional milk solids and fats, while white chocolate is similar to milk chocolate but with no cocoa base.

The study included a sample of adults without diabetes or known coronary artery disease and who were not using antidepressant medications. Their mood was assessed using a specific depression scale. If an individual's score on the scale is over 22, then they have probable major depression, whereas if their score is between 16 and 21, then they have a possible depression.

The results showed that for those individuals screening positive for possible depression (score between 16 and 22), chocolate consumption was higher (8.4 servings per month) than those not screening positive (5.4 servings per month). Additionally, those with probable major depression (score 22) had even higher chocolate consumption (11.8 servings per month). These associations applied to both men and women and were not related to a general increase in fat, carbohydrate, or energy intake.

The study concludes that while higher depression scores are associated with greater chocolate consumption, it is not clear whether there is a causal connection: i.e., does depression cause higher chocolate consumption or does eating more chocolate cause people to become depressed?

So what are some of the possible explanations for the associations? One possible explanation is that people self-medicate their depression by eating more chocolate. Other possibilities include the fact that depression may initiate chocolate cravings, or chocolate somehow may trigger depression. And yet, there could be some complicated but unexplored chemical interactions happening in the body.