Dark chocolate reduces cigarette cravings in people trying to quit smoking, says Brazilian study.

By Fernanda Bassette, from the Einstein Agency One of the main difficulties faced by smokers trying to quit is overcoming the withdrawal period, which usually lasts two to three weeks. The craving manifests as feelings of discomfort, anxiety, and an intense desire to smoke again. Several strategies are employed to help smokers get through this period without giving up.A study by the Federal Fluminense University (UFF), A study conducted in Brazil reveals that dark chocolate may be an alternative to help those who wish to quit the habit.

The search results (read more below about how it was carried out) Studies indicate that daily consumption of a 40-gram portion of dark chocolate (with 70% cocoa) contributed to a reduction in cravings in smokers undergoing treatment. Importantly, this did not affect the patients' body measurements.

The fear of gaining weight is precisely one of the reasons that leads people to hesitate in quitting smoking. According to nutritionist Aline Silva de Aguiar, a specialist in chemical dependency and responsible for the study, this occurs because smokers develop food selectivity due to the action of nicotine, which accelerates metabolism and interferes with the taste buds on the tongue, reducing the sensation of taste in food for the smoker.

“Smokers tend to skip meals, not eat breakfast, and tend to eat monotonously because they don't enjoy the taste. Associated with this, the Body Mass Index (BMI) of smokers tends to be lower. Generally, they are thinner. So, when they quit smoking, they start to compensate for this lack of cigarettes by eating more palatable foods, usually sweets, fatty foods, and ultra-processed foods. Without nicotine, the metabolism stops being accelerated and returns to normal. Therefore, the person may gain a little weight,” explains Aguiar, who is also a professor in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at the Faculty of Nutrition of UFF. She emphasizes that “the weight gain when quitting smoking is negligible compared to the benefits of giving up cigarettes.”  

How the research was done

The research was conducted by nutritionists from the Translational Nutrition Research Group at UFF, coordinated by Aguiar. For one month, they carried out a clinical intervention study with 47 smokers with chronic comorbidities (including diabetes and hypertension) who were treated at the Comprehensive Smoking Cessation Unit of the Interdisciplinary Center for Studies and Research in Nephrology, in the city of Juiz de Fora (MG).  

“We work with patients with comorbidities, who are generally excluded from other clinical studies,” he explains. The approach to treating smoking is based on the protocol proposed by the National Cancer Institute (Inca). 

The nutritionist pointed out that most smoking cessation services do not have nutritionists on staff – therefore, she decided to participate in an outpatient clinic within the Unified Health System (SUS) to evaluate the impact of food (in this case, chocolate) as part of the intervention to quit smoking. 

Smokers who participated in the intervention study were divided into two groups: one group received 40 grams of dark chocolate to consume throughout the week, in addition to receiving nutritional guidance for smoking cessation provided by nutritionists. The other group, the control group, received only nutritional guidance.

"There was no way to create a placebo group because we were offering chocolate. We created a group that received a mix of dried fruits and nuts, but the results will be reported in another article," says the researcher. 

Every week, volunteers answered a questionnaire about cravings when they returned for treatment at the unit. At the end of this period, after analyzing the responses, the researchers concluded that the group that consumed chocolate reported fewer episodes of cravings and less desire to smoke compared to the group that received only behavioral intervention. Furthermore, when compared to the mix of dried fruits, chocolate also showed superior results.

But what exactly is in dark chocolate? According to the nutritionist, cocoa contains a large number of compounds that impact cognitive processes and mood swings, in addition to offering antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Consuming cocoa contributes to stress reduction, helping to minimize symptoms associated with anxiety and mood swings. The choice of dark chocolate (70%) was precisely due to its higher concentration of cocoa, which translates into more beneficial effects.

Strategies for dealing with withdrawal

Withdrawal syndrome represents a significant challenge for smokers, as it can compromise the process and result in relapse. Many abandon treatment due to the difficulty in coping with this problem.

“Most smokers need more than one attempt to quit smoking precisely because of this. Many need two, three, four, even five attempts. We have to make it clear to the patient that this is normal and continue to encourage them so that, as soon as they feel confident again, they make another attempt,” explained pulmonologist Luiza Helena Degani Costa, from the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital, and professor at the Albert Einstein Israelite Faculty of Health Sciences. 

There are several strategies for preventing and treating cravings, ranging from medication, such as nicotine replacement therapy and anti-anxiety medication, to lifestyle changes, including physical exercise to reduce anxiety and food cravings. Situations that trigger the urge to smoke, such as alcohol and coffee consumption, should also be avoided, and alternatives should be sought, such as eating carrot sticks, fennel, or apple pieces when the urge to smoke arises. Patients are usually advised to avoid replacing cigarettes with sweets or candies, as this often contributes to weight gain.

Based on the results of this study, the nutritionist's idea is that smokers will have more options available when cravings arise. "Feeling the urge to smoke? Take a small piece of 70% cocoa chocolate, put it in your mouth, under your tongue, and savor the flavor slowly. This helps with the feeling of well-being," she suggests. 

According to the pulmonologist at Einstein Hospital, the study addresses an important topic, which is the prevention and treatment of cravings in patients undergoing smoking cessation, although it does not yet present definitive evidence: "Further studies need to be conducted, with a larger sample size, clearly showing the rate of adherence to the proposed therapy and evaluating the outcome of successful or unsuccessful smoking cessation and any relapse." 

“What generates significant weight gain is the replacement of cigarette addiction with cravings for food, sweets, and candies. What we need to do is treat and prevent triggers and guide the patient in the early recognition of cravings. The more strategies we have, the better it will be for the patient. If dark chocolate can help them get through this process in a lighter and less sacrificial way, that will be very good. The process will never be simple, it will never be easy, but we can try to make it less difficult,” concluded the pulmonologist.