Mental Health and Cacao

More people than ever are looking for gentle, everyday ways to look after their mental wellbeing. Cacao has a long traditional history as a heart-opening, mood-lifting plant. So what does science actually say about cacao and the mind? And what are we learning in our own research?

Important: Cacao is a food, not a treatment for anxiety, depression or any other mental health condition. If you are struggling, please talk to your doctor or a mental health professional. In New Zealand you can call or text 1737 any time to talk with a trained counsellor.

Cacao's mood-related compounds

Pure, whole-bean ancestral cacao contains a natural mix of compounds that interact with the brain and nervous system:

• Polyphenols (flavanols) support healthy blood flow, including to the brain, and have anti-inflammatory activity.
• Theobromine is a gentle stimulant that gives a warm, uplifting energy without the sharp peak of caffeine.
• Tryptophan is an essential amino acid and the building block of serotonin, a neurotransmitter linked to mood, calm and sleep.
• Phenylethylamine (PEA) is linked with feelings of alertness and wellbeing.
• N-acylethanolamines (NAEs) are related to anandamide, the body's own "bliss" molecule in the endocannabinoid system.

What the research says so far

A growing body of research suggests cacao may support mood and mental performance, though most studies are small and short-term:

• In a randomised trial, cocoa flavanols improved aspects of mental performance and reduced mental fatigue during demanding tasks (Scholey et al., 2010).
• A 30-day trial found that a cocoa polyphenol drink increased self-rated calmness and contentedness in healthy adults (Pase et al., 2013).
• A large population study of more than 13,000 US adults found that people who ate dark chocolate were less likely to report depressive symptoms. This shows an association, not cause and effect (Jackson et al., 2019).

These findings are encouraging, but they don't show that cacao can prevent or treat a mental health condition. That's why we're investing in research of our own.

Our serotonin research with the University of Otago

About 90% of the body's serotonin is made in the gut, and the gut and brain talk to each other constantly through the gut-brain axis. Our Bean to Brain project explores how cacao might fit into that picture.

Seleno Health funds a PhD project at the University of Otago, led by researcher Lydia Bucher and co-supervised by Professor Lyn Wise, with input from our co-founder Dr Corin Storkey (PhD). The project studies how cacao's tryptophan is used in the gut.

After we eat it, tryptophan can follow different paths. One leads to serotonin. Another, the kynurenine pathway, is favoured when the gut is inflamed, which leaves less tryptophan for serotonin. Cacao provides both tryptophan and anti-inflammatory polyphenols, so the team is investigating whether cacao can help create a gut environment that favours serotonin.

The lab model follows cacao through three stages:

1. Processing: how fermentation, drying and roasting change the bean's chemistry
2. Digestion: how cacao compounds survive a simulated digestion, including the gut microbiome
3. The gut: how intestinal cells use cacao's tryptophan, and whether they release more serotonin

This is early-stage laboratory research, and we'll share results as they're published.

Enjoying cacao as part of a balanced routine

Cacao works best as one part of a healthy lifestyle that includes good sleep, movement, connection, time in nature and professional support when you need it. Many people enjoy a mindful cup of cacao as a daily ritual, with journalling, breathwork or meditation, or shared with friends.

Learn how to hold a simple cacao ceremony, and check cacao safety and contraindications before you start. Cacao can interact with some medications, including antidepressants, so talk to your doctor first if you take any.

Explore our ancestral cacao.

Our cacao research

Seleno Health was co-founded by Dr Corin Storkey (PhD) and Sally Huapaya. We travel to Peru to work directly with our cacao farmers, and we fund cacao research at the University of Otago, co-supervised by Professor Lyn Wise, to understand how cacao works from bean to brain.

References

• Jackson, S. E., Smith, L., Firth, J., et al. (2019). Is there a relationship between chocolate consumption and symptoms of depression? A cross-sectional survey of 13,626 US adults. Depression and Anxiety, 36(10), 987–995.
• Pase, M. P., Scholey, A. B., Pipingas, A., et al. (2013). Cocoa polyphenols enhance positive mood states but not cognitive performance: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 27(5), 451–458.
• Richard, D. M., et al. (2009). L-Tryptophan: basic metabolic functions, behavioral research and therapeutic indications. International Journal of Tryptophan Research, 2, 45–60.
• Scholey, A. B., French, S. J., Morris, P. J., et al. (2010). Consumption of cocoa flavanols results in acute improvements in mood and cognitive performance during sustained mental effort. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 24(10), 1505–1514.