- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Herbal Remedy Could Halt Peanut Allergy
- Traffic, Dust Linked to Asthma in Kids
- Folic Acid Might Offer Allergy Relief
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Yoga May Bring Calm to Breast Cancer Treatment
- Quit Smoking the Holistic Way
- Taking the Mystery Out of Hypnotherapy
- ANIMAL CARE
- Separation Anxiety, Canine-Style
- Rest Easy. When It Comes to Swine Flu, Your Pet Is Safe
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- BONES & JOINTS
- Postmenopausal Women With Breast Cancer Face Joint Issues
- New Clues to How Fish Oils Help Arthritis Patients
- Exercise Key Player in Knee Replacement Recovery
- CANCER
- Breast Self-Exam Rates Go Up With Counseling
- No Verdict Yet on Grape Seed Extract vs. Breast Cancer
- Strenuous Daily Workout May Keep Cancer at Bay
- CAREGIVING
- Are Hospital Mobile Phones Dialing Up Superbugs?
- Hospital Practices Influence Which Moms Will Breast-Feed
- Robots May Come to Aging Boomers' Rescue
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Walk 100 Steps a Minute for 'Moderate' Exercise
- Mercury in Fish Linked to High Blood Pressure
- Health Tip: Are You Anemic?
- COSMETIC
- Contact Lenses Boost Kids' Self-Image
- With Psoriasis, the Internet May Offer Hope
- Study Evaluates Laser Therapies for Hair Removal
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Dental Implants Need More Work Than Root Canals
- Biological Product Shows Promise Against Gum Disease
- Study Links Osteoporosis Drugs to Jaw Trouble
- DIABETES
- Laughter May Lower Heart Attack Risk in Diabetics
- Boosting Vitamin D Can Do a Heart Good
- Diabetes Linked to Cognitive Problems
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Fruits, Vegetables, Teas May Cut Smokers' Cancer Risk
- Compound in Berries May Lessen Sun Damage
- Vitamin D Vital for the Heart
- DISABILITIES
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Small Doses of Carbon Monoxide Might Help Stroke Victims
- Green Areas Lower Health Inequities Between Rich, Poor
- Golf Course Insecticides Pose Little Danger to Players
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Poor Night Vision May Predict Age-Related Eye Disease
- When Corks Fly, Watch the Eyes
- Time Teaches Brain to Recognize Objects
- FITNESS
- Study Shows Exercise Shields Against Osteoporosis
- Women Who Run May Benefit From Extra Folic Acid
- Walk Long, Slow and Often to Help the Heart
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- Gum Chewing May Speed Colon Surgery Recovery
- Traditional Nonsurgical GERD Treatments Not Impressive
- Intestinal Bacteria Trigger Immune Response
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Poor Restroom Cleaning Causes Cruise-Ship Sickness
- Dr Churchill & Ashley Pelton Interview 1 of 4
- Eating Well And Keeping Active As You Grow Old Will Help You Stay Sharp
- HEAD & NECK
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- The Internet Is Becoming One-Stop Shopping for Health Help
- Study Suggests Link Between Cell Phones and Brain Tumors
- E-Mailing Your Way to Healthier Habits
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Shedding Light on Why Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Help the Heart
- Research Shows Genetic Activity of Antioxidants
- Cocoa in Chocolate May Be Good for the Heart
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Swine Flu Now Reported in All 50 States
- Swine Flu Is Now a Pandemic Says W.H.O.
- More Medicinal Uses for Pomegranate
- KID'S HEALTH
- Fussy Babys Could Be Out Of Your Control
- Backpack Safety Should Be on Back-to-School Lists
- Winter's Bitter Cold Poses Health Dangers
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Eating Fast Until Full Triples Overweight Risk
- Sunlight May Help Protect Men From Kidney Cancer
- Could Chinese Herb Be a Natural Viagra?
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Reminiscing Helps Build Emotional Strength
- Optimism May Boost Immune System
- Positive Brain Changes Seen After Body-Mind Meditation
- PAIN
- Alleviating Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Tai Chi May Help Ease Fibromyalgia
- Are We Exercising Pain Away? Not So Much.
- PREGNANCY
- Woman in America Are Delaying Motherhood, Study Says
- Acupuncture May Relieve Acid Indigestation In Pregnancy
- Exercise As Well As Acupuncture, May Ease Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
- SENIORS
- Life Expectancy in U.S. Hits New High
- Eating Well And Keeping Active As You Grow Old Will Help You Stay Sharp
- Want Better Health in the New Year, Add Exercise to Your Day
Chocolate a Sweet Pick-Me-Up for the Depressed
By eholistic.com Published: 04/27/2010
Could the depressed be "self-medicating" with chocolate? A new study finds that people battling depression reach for more of the sweet treat than non-depressed folks do.
Many people believe that "when they are feeling a little bit down, chocolate makes them feel better," said lead researcher Dr. Beatrice A. Golomb, an associate professor in the department of family and preventive medicine at the University of California, San Diego.
Chocolate does appear to be popular among people with depression, whether or not they are being treated with antidepressants, the research team found. "A lot of us may have been able to predict this finding," Golomb said.
For the study, published in the April 26 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, the UCSD team looked at the relationship between chocolate and mood in 931 women and men who were not taking antidepressants.
The participants were asked how much chocolate they ate, and their level of depression was measured on a standard depression scale.
People diagnosed as depressed ate an average of 8.4 servings of chocolate each month compared with 5.4 servings among people who were not depressed, the researchers found.
The most depressed ate the most chocolate -- around 11.8 servings a month, the team discovered.
These findings were the same for men and women.
When the researchers looked at people who were taking medication for depression, they found these people ate chocolate at the same rate as those with untreated depression, according to Golomb.
No difference was noted regarding consumption of other foods, such as fish, coffee, caffeine or fruits and vegetables, between the depressed and non-depressed people, the researchers found. The difference seemed to be isolated to chocolate, they said.
Chocolate -- particularly dark chocolate -- has been linked in other research to improved cardiovascular health and longevity, possibly because of its antioxidant properties, Golomb noted.
The link with depression could have several explanations. Because it is thought to improve mood, it could be a form of "self-medication," Golomb noted.
On the other hand, chocolate might contribute to depression, or the link could be a complex combination of as yet unknown physiological effects, the researchers said. Future studies are needed to further explore the association, they said.
Experts voiced different reactions to the findings.
"The nature of 'emotional eating' or 'comfort foods' is complex," said Dr. Gregory Simon, a psychiatrist and mental health researcher at the Group Health Research Institute in Seattle.
"When people feel depressed or distressed, they may prefer certain foods because of their nutritional content, such as more fat or refined sugar, or their emotional meaning, because some foods are seen as a treat or a consolation, or their practical qualities, since some foods take less motivation or energy to prepare or consume," Simon said.
Another expert, Dr. Lorrin Koran, professor emeritus of psychiatry and behavioral science, at Stanford University School of Medicine, noted that "chocolate has many advantages over other possible pleasures."
It is available, cheap, does not lose its pleasure-inducing quality with repeated use, does not require relating to other people and is culturally approved as a source of legitimate pleasure, he said.
"I strongly doubt that chocolate either induces depression or interferes with recovery from depression," Koran said. "If either idea were true, this would long ago have become obvious given the ubiquitous use of the substance over the last 500 years."
SOURCES: Beatrice A. Golomb, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of medicine, University of California, San Diego; Gregory Simon, M.D., M.P.H., psychiatrist and mental health researcher, Group Health Research Institute, Seattle; Lorrin Koran, M.D., professor emeritus, psychiatry and behavioral science, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif.; April 26, 2010, Archives on Internal Medicine Published on: April 26, 2010
