Chocolate and Mood: a Moment of Delight

As children, we all had this dream about living inside Roald Dahl’s book, with Charlie in the popular chocolate factory, drinking from the chocolate river and eating from the chocolate tree. Chocolate can be found in different shapes or colors and in different combinations. It is often associated with positive energy and increased happiness. This could be due to its association with warm childhood experiences or may be related to its intrinsic properties and effect on the brain.

Cocoa comes from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree which originated in Central and South America around 1100 BC. It was a plant renown for health and power and the Maya even worshiped the goddess of chocolate “Ixcocoa”.  Since then, the chocolate business has developed and evolved to become part of every childhood, every valentine’s date, and every occasion. Annually, 4.7 million tons of cocoa are produced and in 2021, the size of the chocolate confectionery market worldwide reached 205.47 billion USD.

The relationship between chocolate and mood is highly complex and the way behavior, cognition, and mood are intertwined and modulated are not fully understood.  A new concept developed by Tuenter et al. is the “mood pyramid” of cocoa and chocolate, ranking the mood and cognition-enhancing effects of cocoa from most general to most specific.

First off, at the base of the pyramid, we have  flavanols which are found in dark chocolate and cocoa, among other food categories  like red wine, grapes, and apples. They are a form of flavonoids, which are plant-based substances that have potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, contributing to reduced neuro degenerative processes and neuro inflammation and increased neurogenesis. They represent up to 20% of compounds found in cocoa beans but this percentage varies depending on the bean origin, variety, and processing. They decrease mental fatigue and boost cognitive performance as well.

The neurobiological actions of flavanols occur not only via direct interactions in the brain regions dedicated to learning and memory but also via central and peripheral blood-flow improvement and angiogenesis.

Then, on the mid-level, we have methylxanthines caffeine (also found in coffee and tea) and  theobromine, specific to chocolate and structurally similar to caffeine but with less effect on the central nervous system. They have additive and maybe synergistic effects on alertness and cognition, by increasing attention and improving working memory and executive function.

Finally, on top of the pyramid  reside the orosensory properties of chocolate, which are responsible for the “craving feeling”. These are mainly due to phytochemicals which, at high doses, have addictive characteristics, alongside unsaturated N acethylethanomaline, which are pharmacologically related to Anandamide, an endogenous cannabinoid that induces euphoria. These two together create the desire to ingest chocolate and can contribute to mood effects. Women are more prone to crave chocolate and those cravings vary depending on hormonal fluctuations: they increase during premenstrual period or pregnancy.

Therefore, chocolate has a positive effect on mood, and enhances self-calmness while reducing negative emotions. And that is especially true when chocolate is eaten mindfully, as demonstrated by Meier et al. People high in mindfulness are less defensive and judgmental while being more open to the environment around them. They take their time and chew slowly to appreciate all sensations produced by the food. Hence, people who eat chocolate mindfully have a greater increase in positive mood.

Thus, chocolate can indeed, be a delicious cure for a bad day and can make things better, when eaten in moderation of course. As the saying goes “you can’t buy happiness, but you can buy a box of chocolate and that is kind of the same thing”.

References:

 Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological wellbeing. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 822e848.

–       Brown, K. W., Ryan, R. M., & Creswell, J. D. (2007). Mindfulness: Theoretical foundations and evidence for its salutary effects. Psychological Inquiry, 18, 211e237.

–       Meier, B. P., Noll, S. W., & Molokwu, O. J. (2017). The sweet life: The effect of mindful chocolate consumption on mood. Appetite, 108, 21–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2016.09.018

–       Scholey, A., & Owen, L. (2013). Effects of chocolate on cognitive function and mood: A systematic review. Nutrition Reviews, 71(10), 665–681. https://doi.org/10.1111/nure.12065

–       Sokolov, A. N., Pavlova, M. A., Klosterhalfen, S., & Enck, P. (2013). Chocolate and the brain: Neurobiological impact of cocoa flavanols on cognition and behavior. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 37(10), 2445–2453. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.06.013

–       Tuenter, E., Foubert, K., & Pieters, L. (2018). Mood Components in Cocoa and Chocolate: The Mood Pyramid. Planta Medica, 84(12–13), 839–844. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-0588-5534

–       Veronese, N., Demurtas, J., Celotto, S., Caruso, M. G., Maggi, S., Bolzetta, F., … Stubbs, B. (2019). Is chocolate consumption associated with health outcomes? An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Clinical Nutrition, 38(3), 1101–1108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2018.05.019

–    https://www.statista.com/topics/1638/chocolate-industry/#dossierSummary__chapter5

–    https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/your-brain-on-chocolate-2017081612179

–    https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/874e2fee6ffd4ee1a5ca48a99f7e51b0