Review Mood state effects of chocolate Gordon Parker a, ⁎ , Isabella Parker b , Heather Brotchie b a School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Australia b Black Dog Institute, Sydney, Australia Received 22 September 2005; received in revised form 2 February 2006; accepted 3 February 2006 Available online 20 March 2006 Abstract Background: Chocolate consumption has long been associated with enjoyment and pleasure. Popular claims confer on chocolate the properties of being a stimulant, relaxant, euphoriant, aphrodisiac, tonic and antidepressant. The last claim stimulated this review. Method: We review chocolate's properties and the principal hypotheses addressing its claimed mood altering propensities. We distinguish between food craving and emotional eating, consider their psycho-physiological underpinnings, and examine the likely ‘positioning’ of any effect of chocolate to each concept. Results: Chocolate can provide its own hedonistic reward by satisfying cravings but, when consumed as a comfort eating or emotional eating strategy, is more likely to be associated with prolongation rather than cessation of a dysphoric mood. Limitations: This review focuses primarily on clarifying the possibility that, for some people, chocolate consumption may act as an antidepressant self-medication strategy and the processes by which this may occur. Conclusions: Any mood benefits of chocolate consumption are ephemeral. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Chocolate; Chocolate consumption; Negative mood state; Depression; Atypical depression Contents 1. Introduction ...................................................... 150 2. Chocolate ........................................................ 150 2.1. Chocolate composition ............................................. 150 2.2. Chocolate craving ................................................ 151 2.3. Psychoactive properties of chocolate ...................................... 151 3. Chocolate and neurotransmitter systems ........................................ 151 3.1. Dopamine .................................................... 151 3.2. Serotonin .................................................... 151 3.3. Opioids ..................................................... 152 4. From pleasure to aversion: a PET study ........................................ 153 Journal of Affective Disorders 92 (2006) 149 – 159 www.elsevier.com/locate/jad ⁎ Corresponding author. Postal address: Black Dog Institute, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, Sydney 2031, Australia. Tel.: +61 2 93824372; fax: +61 2 93824343. E-mail address: g.parker@unsw.edu.au (G. Parker). 0165-0327/$ - see front matter © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2006.02.007