by Chris Shugart
The Happy Food
Feeling down? Eat a little of this food every day for three weeks and you'll feel better. Here's the science.
On a scale from one to five (one = not at all; five = extremely), assess your current mood:
- I feel sad.
- I feel helpless.
- I feel hopeless.
- I feel irritable.
Obviously, a super-low score of 4 means you're happy and in a great mood. A super-high score of 20 means you're not doing so well today. Most people score in the mid-range, typically below 10 on most days, ideally.
That's a highly simplified version of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Other tests, like the Beck Depression Inventory, are used to figure out the same kinda thing.
Researchers used these measures in a recent study. They gave people the mood tests, fed them a certain food, then gave them the tests again. Oh yeah, the researchers also had the study participants bring in some poop.
What the heck were they studying? Let's dig into it. Especially the poop.
The Study
Forty-eight men and women, aged 20-30, were given the mood tests mentioned above. Then they pooped in a vial and were given bags of chocolate. There were three groups:
- Some got 70% cocoa dark chocolate.
- Some got 85% cocoa dark chocolate.
- Some got no chocolate (placebo).
For three weeks, the chocolate-eaters consumed 30 grams daily. That's roughly four or five squares, almost one-third of a chocolate bar (about 175 calories). After the testing period, they re-took the mood tests and did some more pooping.
What happened? In a nutshell, the 85% cocoa group showed improved mood scores. The 70% group and the placebo group did not.
Tell Me About the Poop!
Okay. The researchers here were testing how dark chocolate affected mood via the relationship between the gut-brain axis and intestinal microflora (gut bacteria).
The 85% chocolate eaters showed increased gut microbial diversity, including more Blautia obeum, a butyrate-producing bacterium with anti-inflammatory effects. That's what the poop test was for: to measure the microbial DNA present. The healthier and more balanced the gut bacteria, the better the participants scored on the mood tests. This was largely due to the prebiotic effects of the chocolate.
Random Fun Fact: There are 10 times more bacterial cells than human cells in your body. We've known about this symbiotic relationship (technically called mutualism) for a while, but this research proves once again that it's about more than digestion and immune support – it's also about your mood.
How to Use This Info
If you can get used to it, and you can afford to "spend" the calories on it, eat 30 grams of 85% dark chocolate a day. Of course, the higher the percentage the better (higher polyphenol levels). Cocoa or cacao powder should work too. Mood improvements were noticed in three weeks in the above study.
Not a dark chocolate fan? Supplement with a prebiotic. Beta glucan (Buy at Amazon) also supports butyrate-producing, inflammation-squashing bacteria like Blautia obeum. Along with its mood-supporting properties, beta glucan...
- Strengthens immunity for disease defense.
- Controls sugar cravings.
- Improves metabolic health and promotes fat loss.
The most bioavailable type of beta glucan is derived from algae and found in Biotest's Beta Glucan Immune-Boosting Fiber (Buy at Amazon).
Reference
- Shin, Ji-Hee, et al. "Consumption of 85% Cocoa Dark Chocolate Improves Mood in Association with Gut Microbial Changes in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial." The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, vol. 99, Jan. 2022, p. 108854
I’m in!
