Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Psychiatry Unit, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2022;62(28):7905-7916. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2021.1920570. Epub 2021 May 10.
In the popular imaginary, cocoa-derived products, like chocolate, represent a panacea for mood and affectivity. However, whether this is a myth or a fact has yet to be clarified. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines to investigate the effect of cocoa-derived food on depressive and anxiety symptoms, positive and negative affect. We searched Web of Knowledge and PsycINFO up to April 3, 2020. After screening 761 records, we selected nine studies. Two trials evaluated the long-term effects of cocoa consumption (>1 week), two studies the short-term effects (3 days), while five studies were conducted in acute (single administration). Random-effects meta-analyses found an overall significant effect of cocoa-rich products on depressive (Hedge's = -0.42, 95% CI -0.67 to -0.17) and anxiety symptoms (Hedge's = -0.49, 95% CI -0.78 to -0.19). Moreover, both positive (Hedge's = 0.41, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.77) and negative affect (Hedge's = -0.47, 95% CI -0.91 to -0.03) significantly improved. In all meta-analyses, the effect size was medium, while heterogeneity was low. Our findings suggest that the consumption of cocoa-rich products may improve affect and mood in the short term. However, given the short duration of trials, our results cannot be generalized to long-term intake of cocoa-derived food. Cautious interpretation is also needed due to the low number of participants and studies included in the meta-analyses.
在大众的想象中，可可衍生产品，如巧克力，代表着一种改善情绪和情感的万能药。然而，这究竟是一个神话还是一个事实，仍有待澄清。我们根据 PRISMA 指南进行了系统回顾和荟萃分析，以调查可可衍生食品对抑郁和焦虑症状、正性和负性情绪的影响。我们在 Web of Knowledge 和 PsycINFO 上检索至 2020 年 4 月 3 日。经过筛选 761 条记录，我们选择了 9 项研究。其中两项试验评估了可可消费的长期影响（>1 周），两项研究评估了短期影响（3 天），而五项研究则在急性（单次给药）条件下进行。随机效应荟萃分析发现，富含可可的产品对抑郁（Hedge's = -0.42，95% CI -0.67 至 -0.17）和焦虑症状（Hedge's = -0.49，95% CI -0.78 至 -0.19）有总体显著的影响。此外，正性（Hedge's = 0.41，95% CI 0.06 至 0.77）和负性情绪（Hedge's = -0.47，95% CI -0.91 至 -0.03）也显著改善。在所有荟萃分析中，效应大小为中等，而异质性较低。我们的研究结果表明，富含可可的产品的消费可能在短期内改善情绪和心境。然而，鉴于试验的持续时间较短，我们的结果不能推广到长期摄入可可衍生食品。由于荟萃分析中纳入的参与者和研究数量较少，因此需要谨慎解释。
