Eating chocolate can ease chronic fatigue syndrome
POSTED December 7, 2010 - 13:37 | POSTED BY neha gupta
Last edited by Silky Chandvani on December 7, 2010 - 16:16
Regular consumption of chocolate rich in cocoa liquor or polyphenol reduces the severity of the disorder significantly.
Earlier studies have confirmed that chocolate has the ability to enhance various neurotransmitters like phenyl ethylamine, serotonin, and anandamide in the brain region.
However, the benefit of dark chocolate in handling chronic fatigue has been studied for the first time, the researchers said.
“In summary, this study suggests that consuming high cocoa polyphenol rich chocolate 15g three times daily has a beneficial effect in improving fatigue and residual function in subjects with chronic fatigue syndrome over a period of 8 weeks compared to simulated iso-calorific cocoa mass free/ low polyphenol chocolate,”, the researchers said.
The study details
The study looked at six females and four males suffering from severe chronic fatigue syndrome.
The participants scored 10 out of 11 on the Chalder Fatigue Scale, a test to measure fatigue levels.
They were further divided in two groups on a random basis.
The first group was given 15g of chocolates with a high cocoa content three times a day, while the second group was given chocolates with very little cocoa.
The chocolates, provided by Nestlé PTC York, UK, tasted almost the same.
The participants were asked to eat the same variety of chocolates for 8 weeks after which they were asked to eat the second variety for another 8 weeks.
The study results
The researchers found a significant improvement in the participant’s Chalder Fatigue Scale scores on consumption of high polyphenol chocolates as compared to the cocoa liquor free i.e. low polyphenol chocolates.
Researchers recommend including small chocolate doses in the diet of chronic fatigue syndrome patients.
The researchers stated, “As both types of chocolate were iso-calorific and had similar glycemic indices and loads, it is likely that the improvement was due to the high polyphenol content within the active chocolate, rather than a difference in of the micro or macronutrient the composition of the two chocolates.
"A further study is needed to see what the effects would be on a larger group of people, but this is potentially very encouraging news for those who suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.”
The results were published in the 'Nutrition Journal.'
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