I don't care what they say, in my world chocolate will forever be linked to instantaneous depression relief. Three squares of a potent dark bar or a couple spoonfuls of a rich cocoa gelato and I feel happier, more content, at peace even. Really, I do.

But some people aren't buying it. Resent research has found that the chocolate buzz that has single handedly liberated women from the dark cloud of PMS may actually be a figment of the imagination. I'm pained to write this, but it seems as if chocolate actually gets us no higher than any other carbohydrate out there. That's right, chocolate has no more power than a slice of bread or a potato.

It's sad.

The study, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, [1] examined every aspect of the relationship between chocolate and mood and according to the Los Angeles Times, [2] the results could not be refuted: chocolate has no power over depression.

What it does have, however, is a solid place at the top of the most-craved-foods list. Chocolate may not affect our mood, but we sure love how it tastes - in fact, we have a hard time living without it. Janet Polivy, a psychology professor at the University of Toronto [3] conducted the study that proved it. When she deprived patients of both chocolate and vanilla, it was the chocolate-less who struggled. "Chocolate is the most craved food," she said. "It does seem to be something special. But there is little evidence that it alters neurotransmitters or mood."

[via Los Angeles Times [4]]

Image: ucdavis.edu