There’s no doubt that chocolate tastes good. And when you eat something good, it makes you happy.
But can chocolate actually treat depression? Scientists have debated this question for decades.
New research shows the answer may be yes.[1]
Researchers at University College London wanted to see if foods could provide depression relief.
They analyzed data from the United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. It involved 13,626 participants. Of those, 1,332 regularly ate milk chocolate and 148 ate dark chocolate.
Dark Chocolate Cuts Depression Risk by 70%
There was no reduction in depression for the milk chocolate eaters. But people who ate dark chocolate “had 70% lower odds of reporting clinically relevant” depression symptoms.[2]
Dark chocolate contains compounds called flavanols. They are powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents.
Dark chocolate also contains beneficial soluble fiber and vital minerals such as magnesium and potassium.[3]
But it’s important to make sure you’re eating the right kind of dark chocolate. Some brands are loaded with sugar. And some even contain lead and cadmium. Both are potent toxins. So it’s important to know which ones to buy and which to avoid.
Dark Chocolates to Avoid
As You Sow, a consumer advocacy group, tested 50 chocolate brands for lead and cadmium. It found the following products had one or both of the heavy metals:
- Cadbury Royal Dark
- Ghirardelli Intense Dark Twilight Delight
- Godiva 85% Cacao Extra Dark
- Hershey Dagoba Dark Chocolate
- Hershey Scharffen Berger Extra Dark
- Kraft Cote D’Or 86% Noir Brut Belgian
- Lindt Excellence
- Mars Dove Dark Chocolate Eggs
- Newman’s Own Super Dark Chocolate
- Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate
- Whole Foods 72% Cacao
Safe Chocolate Choices
Here are dark chocolate products found to contain no lead or cadmium:
- DeMet’s Flipz 50% Cacao Dark Chocolate Covered Pretzels
- Ghirardelli Intense Dark Midnight Reverie
- Jo’s Candies Dark Chocolate Covered Graham Crackers
- Lindt Excellence A Touch of Sea Salt
- Starbuck’s Dark Chocolate Covered Grahams
We recommend two of these products: Ghirardelli Midnight Reverie and Lindt Excellence a Touch of Sea Salt.
Not only are they free of lead and cadmium, but they contain no carb-heavy pretzels or graham crackers… Just pure health-boosting dark chocolate.
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[1]https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/da.22950
[2]https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325944.php
[3]https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-health-benefits-dark-chocolate#section1