Does Eating Dark Chocolate Make You Smarter?
Think well, eat better: How diet influences the brain and motivation
Every thought you have is the result of an incredible network of neural connections working tirelessly in your brain. But these connections don’t happen automatically: they depend on electrical impulses, neurotransmitters, and hormones that regulate the speed, quality, and intensity of the information traveling between neurons. What’s most interesting is that we can influence these processes through our diet.
How is a thought produced?
When we receive a stimulus (an image, a sound, an idea), the information travels in the form of an electrical impulse that moves through the neurons. However, neurons don’t touch one another: there is a small gap between them called the synaptic space. For the electrical impulse to continue its journey from one neuron to another, the brain uses neurotransmitters, chemical substances that allow the signal to cross the synaptic space and reach its destination.
Some neurotransmitters play an excitatory role, meaning they increase the speed and intensity of neural communication. Others, on the other hand, have a relaxing or inhibitory effect. Some examples are:
- Glutamate: It is the most important excitatory neurotransmitter. It facilitates learning and memory.
- GABA: It is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that reduces neural excitation, helping with relaxation and preventing information overload.
- Dopamine: It motivates us to keep taking action and is associated with reward and motivation.
- Serotonin: It regulates mood and the feeling of well-being.
The connection between diet and neurotransmitters
What we eat directly influences the production and release of these neurotransmitters. Foods rich in certain nutrients can improve neural communication and optimize our thinking. For example:
- Dark chocolate: Contains tryptophan, an essential amino acid that promotes serotonin production, helping to improve mood and well-being.
- Fatty fish (such as salmon and sardines): They are rich in omega-3, a type of fat essential for the formation and maintenance of neural connections.
- Nuts and bananas: They contain magnesium and tryptophan, necessary to regulate serotonin production and reduce stress.
- Green leafy vegetables (spinach, broccoli, kale): Rich in antioxidants and folic acid, which support brain health and aid in the synthesis of neurotransmitters.
Why do we crave chocolate after exercising?
When we engage in a pleasurable physical activity, such as exercise, our brain releases serotonin and dopamine, which makes us feel good. Dark chocolate contains MAOI, an inhibitor of an enzyme that breaks down these neurotransmitters. This means that, by eating dark chocolate after exercise, we prolong the feeling of well-being in our body for longer.
Final thoughts
Our mood is not just a matter of luck. We can actively influence the release of these neurotransmitters by adopting healthy habits. Which of these strategies will you put into practice today?
References
- Benton, D., & Donohoe, R. T. (1999). The effects of nutrients on mood. Public Health Nutrition, 2(3A), 403-409.
- Fernstrom, J. D. (2012). Effects and side effects associated with the non-nutritional use of tryptophan by humans. The Journal of Nutrition, 142(12), 2236S-2244S.
- Wurtman, R. J., & Wurtman, J. J. (1995). Brain serotonin, carbohydrate-craving, obesity and depression. Obesity Research, 3(S4), 477S-480S.