‘Everything in moderation’ is the old clichè and we have to say that never a truer word was spoken (or written!)

Depriving your body of specific substances could be as damaging as over-indulgence. No matter which diet or health plan you follow, your body will still require some salt or sugar for example.

Chocolate has repeatedly surfaced in the news as being good or bad for you, usually dependant on which way the wind blows and what the press have to write about! But a study has just been undertaken to test the benefits of chocolate for chronic fatigue syndrome (M.E.). 10 Patients were given various types of chocolate over a six month study period to determine the effects with dark chocolate with higher cocoa content seeming to show improvements to symptoms.

Now before you rush down the road and stock up the fridge, the study has found that other chocolate may not have the same effect. Patients reported significantly less fatigue whilst eating the dark chocolate but felt more fatigued when eating a white chocolate dyed brown.

Study leader Professor Steve Atkin, an expert in endocrinology, said he was very surprised at the strength of the results.

“Although it was a small study, two patients went back to work after being off for six months.”

He explained: “Dark chocolate is high in polyphenols, which have been associated with health benefits such as a reduction in blood pressure.

“Also high polyphenols appear to improve levels of serotonin in the brain, which has been linked with chronic fatigue syndrome and that may be a mechanism.”

He added that although more research was needed to confirm the findings, patients would not do themselves any harm by eating small amounts of dark chocolate and no-one in the study put on any weight.

“If you derive benefit, then it’s a no-harm, no-risk situation.”

Jane Colby, executive director of The Young ME Sufferers Trust said it was important to distinguish between ME and other types of fatigue.

“But a little bit of what you fancy does you good – if it’s not doing you any harm and it seems to be helping you then fair enough but I don’t think it’s an instant cure.”

She added that people needed to eat chocolate in moderation to ensure they do not put on weight.

Heather Walker, Communications Manager, Action for ME, said: “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if eating chocolate every day could alleviate the symptoms of chronic illness?

“If it were that easy, there would not be 250,000 people in the UK today whose lives are being been devastated by ME.”

 

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Topics: Health & Wellness

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