Protein & Nutrition Blog – Marmels

Does Dark Chocolate Improve Mood? What the Science Says

Protein & Nutrition Blog – Marmels

Does Dark Chocolate Improve Mood? What the Science Says

by Mo Mandegar, PhD on Jun 15 2026
Reaching for chocolate after a hard day is not pure imagination. Incontrolled trials, a roughly 500-milligram dose of cocoa polyphenolslifted positive mood while a 250-milligram dose did nothing, and 85percent cocoa outperformed 70 percent. Here is what the research showsabout dark chocolate and mood, the biology behind it, and why cocoaquality sets the limit.