Lifetime Individual Health Concern, Benefits and Tips

Has anybody wondered what the lifetime health correlation of chocolate and depression is? For example, have you observed yourself or perhaps seen someone whenever they are depressed or they are feeling down and they reach for a bar of chocolate or other forms of sweets?

Some people whenever they feel down or depressed reach for sweets especially chocolates because it made them feel better at the moment but regret later on because they realize that they have just consumed thousands of calories.

According to a published study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, people who feel depressed consumed around 55% more chocolates compared to their non-depressed peers. Thus, the more depressed they feel, the more chocolates they tend to consume, and the worse is its effect to their lifetime health and fitness condition.

Dr. Beatrice Golom, a professor of medicine at the University of California at San Diego School of Medicine says that there is a little prior scientific explanation that links chocolate and depression. “Gorging on sweets and chocolates to beat the blues” is a popular cliché explaining that when people need something to pick up – then they will choose chocolate. However, it is quite unclear whether depressed people consume chocolates because they crave for them or they just contribute more to depression.

To support the claim of Dr. Golomb, she and her colleagues surveyed more than 900 people about their weekly chocolate consumption and their overall diet. They also take into account the moods of the participants by using a standard questionnaire used to screen for depression. They found out that individuals who are considered depressed consumed 8.4 servings of chocolate per month compared to their counterparts who are not depressed who just consumed 5.4 servings per month.

Like alcohol, chocolates can also be an instrument where depressed people can feel better for a short term but will have a negative effect on their lifetime health in the long run. Sometimes, indulging into chocolates when you are down can even leave you feeling worse after a while.

The psychologist, Susan Albers says that chocolates can raise the levels of brain chemical called serotonin just like some antidepressants that can also boost the blood sugar levels which will make the person feeling more energetic.

Emotional chocolate eaters must be aware that chocolate rush is often followed by a crash and the crash will make the depression even worse.

Thus, the solution is – when you are depressed or when you feel down, look for more direct and healthier solutions such as psychotherapy, antidepressants prescribed by your doctor, or professional counseling. There are no shortcuts when it comes to our lifetime health emotions.