SAN DIEGO, Ca. — A new study found people who screened positive for depression appear to eat more chocolate. Researchers published the findings in the April 22 issue of the "Archives of Internal Medicine."
Scientists at the University of California, Davis and University of California, San Diego looked at nearly 1000 men and women not using antidepressants. Participants logged their information about their overall diet and reported how much chocolate they ate. Researchers assessed their mood using a depression scale.
They found those who tested positive for depression ate more than an average of 8 servings of chocolate per month. That's compared to more than 5 servings for those who did not screen positive for depression. Patients with signs of probable major depression ate even more - nearly 12 servings per month.
The findings were similar among men and women. Researchers also reported no difference in the other foods the participants ate, including fish, fruits and vegetables.
The doctors noted several explanations for the chocolate increase. "First, depression could stimulate chocolate cravings as 'self-treatment' if chocolate confers mood benefits, as has been suggested in recent studies of rats. Second, depression may stimulate chocolate cravings for unrelated reasons...Third, from cross-sectional data the possibility that chocolate could casually contribute to depressed mood....cannot be excluded."