ArticleFrontiers in nutrition2026
Self-reported dark chocolate consumption and depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older adults in Nagoya, Japan: a cross-sectional study.
Article in Frontiers in nutrition, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Introduction: Evidence regarding the association between dark chocolate consumption and depressive symptoms remains limited, particularly among older adults. Objective: To examine the association between self-reported dark chocolate consumption and depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older adults in Nagoya, Japan. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 3,910 adults aged ≥ 70 years, of whom 2,957 were analyzed. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Japanese version of the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15-J). Dark chocolate consumption and depressive symptoms were assessed at the same study time point. Participants were classified into four groups: rare or no chocolate consumption, chocolate consumption without dark chocolate, dark chocolate consumption once or twice per week or more for ≤2 years, and dark chocolate consumption once or twice per week or more for >2 years. Logistic regression estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) after adjustment of demographic, socioeconomic, lifestyle, and clinical covariates. Sensitivity analyses assessed robustness. Results: Among the 2,957 participants, 48.4% were women, and the mean age was 78.0 ± 5.0 years. Dark chocolate consumption for >2 years was reported by 24.6%. In the fully adjusted model, participants reporting dark chocolate consumption for >2 years had lower estimated odds of depressive symptoms than those who reported rare or no chocolate consumption, although the confidence interval included the null (OR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.53-1.01; Conclusion: Self-reported dark chocolate consumption for >2 years may be associated with lower odds of depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older adults in Nagoya, Japan. Prospective and interventional studies are needed to clarify the temporal and causal nature of this association.
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