Is eating chocolate good for our mental health?
As we celebrate World Chocolate Day, it’s worth asking whether one of our favourite treats might actually be helping us cope better with life’s ups and downs.
What is World Chocolate Day?
According to Wikipedia 1 World Chocolate Day was started in 2009 to mark the anniversary of the introduction of chocolate to Europe in 1550. Celebrated annually on 7 July it is an opportunity for chocolate lovers to celebrate this delicious food – and drink – made from the beans of South America’s cacao (cocoa) tree.
From bitter chocolate playing an important part in ancient Aztec rituals to sweeter varieties being indelibly associated with Valentine’s Day, chocolate has long occupied a special place in our emotional landscape.
But it’s not just the great taste of chocolate that we should be celebrating: it’s also its health benefits.
The science behind chocolate and better mental health
Food – including chocolate – is more than just fuel for our bodies; it can give us an emotional connection, offering us comfort and a sense of self-care.
It’s not just our imagination that persuades us that chocolate lifts our spirits and soothes our souls: there’s science behind what many of us have known deep down for years.
That’s because chocolate contains a chemical called phenylethylamine, which stimulates the brain to release endorphins – our ‘feel-good’ chemicals that help relieve pain, reduce stress and improve our mood.
Chocolate also contains flavonoids: natural antioxidants that are believed to lower blood pressure and improve cognitive function.
However, not all chocolate is created equal. Dark chocolate, with a higher concentration of cocoa solids, tends to have more health benefits than lighter, milkier versions. It does, for instance, contain magnesium, which is known to reduce anxiety and promote better sleep.
In 2019, researchers at University College London looked at the consumption of dark and milk chocolate by more than 13,000 adults in the United States. After allowing for health and lifestyle factors, they found that people who ate dark chocolate were significantly less likely to report depressive symptoms than those who ate no chocolate at all. 2
Similarly, it has been reported that people who eat dark chocolate feel less stressed, with researchers confirming that eating dark chocolate reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol. 3
To eat chocolate is to nurture one’s own soul, taking a moment of peace from a chaotic world and filling your heart with joy through its smooth texture and rich flavor. 4
Emotional eating or mindful munching?
It’s important to acknowledge that there’s a line between numbing our emotions and nourishing them.
Even though it’s natural for us to use food as a reward or comfort to make ourselves feel better, eating too often because of a feeling we have rather than because we need nutrition can become problematic, because eating food that our body doesn’t need can lead to weight problems.
(For more information, see University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust: Managing emotional eating.)
By contrast, practising mindful eating can make a big difference. Eating mindfully means sitting down to eat without distractions, savouring each bite and recognising when we’re satisfied. It’s about engaging and nourishing our senses rather than numbing them.
A healthy relationship with chocolate allows us to enjoy it in moderation and without guilt, rather than veer between trying to completely avoid it and then over-indulging.
Enjoy food and enjoy life
On World Chocolate Day, we celebrate more than just chocolate: we celebrate the emotional nourishment that food can bring. In an age of rushed meals and distracted eating, it’s a gentle reminder to slow down, savour what we eat and give ourselves permission to enjoy food and life.
So pour a cuppa, break off a piece of your favourite chocolate and make a moment that’s just for you. Chocolate might not solve all life’s problems, but it really can sweeten a day.
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Here at MTS Psychological Health, I am passionate about your mental health and emotional wellbeing. Don’t suffer psychological issues in silence: get in touch and discover how I can help you to alleviate a range of anxiety and depression symptoms from mild to severe presentations.
We can discuss the best clinical way to alleviate your suffering, which may be either through a course of psychoanalytic psychotherapy or with EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique / Tapping) and Aromatherapy, so you can enjoy life to the full again.
References
1 Wikipedia: World Chocolate Day
2 American Psychiatric Association: Dark Chocolate Offers a Variety of Potential Benefits
3 Johns Hopkins Medicine: The Benefits of Having a Healthy Relationship with Chocolate
Further reading
Depression and Anxiety: Is there a relationship between chocolate consumption and symptoms of depression? A cross-sectional survey of 13,626 US adults
The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry: Consumption of 85% cocoa dark chocolate improves mood in association with gut microbial changes in healthy adults: a randomized controlled trial
