Chocolate: food for moods.
BACKGROUND
Chocolate is a popular food and its consumption has long been associated with enjoyment and pleasure. The effect of chocolate on mood too has long been recognised. Chocolate is thought to have interactions with neurotransmitters which contribute to mood modulation and appetite regulation. However, the evidence in chocolate and mood studies remains highly controversial. As more is known about the influence of chocolate on mood, the reasons for these effects appear increasingly complex and inter-related.


METHODS
We reviewed chocolate's properties and the principal hypotheses addressing its mood altering propensities.


RESULTS
The relationship between chocolate and mood are highly complex, combining psychopharmacological components, nutritional and sensory characteristics of the food. Individual and situational differences on chocolate consumption may also exert influence on mood and the mixed results in previous research indicate that the direction of the association remains unclear.


CONCLUSIONS
The association between chocolate consumption and emotions warrants further multi-prong investigations to substantiate chocolate's mood alterating propensity.
Centre for Clinical and Quality of Life Studies (CCQoLS), Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Sultan ZainalAbidin (UniSZA), Kampus Kota, 20400 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia.
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Wong
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Lua
D000339:Affect; D002099:Cacao; D006801:Humans