Cocoa May Help You Reduce Fatigue: Study

It has been proved that cocoa and dark chocolate is known to have a number of health benefits including improving mood and boosting energy. 
Now according to this new study, published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, it has been proved that consuming cocoa may also help curb fatigue in patients of multiple sclerosis or MS.

Cocoa is rich in flavonoids-substances found abundantly in fruit and vegetables and associated with anti-inflammatory properties.
The study also suggests that people with MS experienced complex causes of mental and physical fatigue and likely to include neural, inflammatory, metabolic, and psychological factors. The researcher says none of the currently available approaches offers long term relief.

40 adults were randomly assigned for the study, which was recently diagnosed with the relapsing-remitting form of MS and fatigue to drink a cup of either high flavonoid cocoa powder mixed with heated rice milk (19) or a low flavonoid version (21) every day for six weeks.

While the participants were asked to wait 30 minutes before taking any prescribed medication or eating or drinking anything else, but otherwise to stick to their usual diet.

Fatigue and fatigability of the speed with which mental and physical fatigue set in-were formally charged before the start, at the mid-point, and at the end of the test.

It has been observed that after six weeks there was quite an improvement in fatigue in 11 of those drinking high flavonoid cocoa compared with eight of those drinking the low flavonoid version. Moreover, there was a reduced effect on fatigability, with those drinking high flavonoid cocoa able to cover further distance during the 6-minute walk test.

While, those who had the high flavonoid version showed a 45 percent, increase in subjectively assessed fatigue and 80 percent improvement in walking speed. Although not accurately measured, pain symptoms also improved more in the high flavonoid group. So now you can try cocoa like a natural medicine to get rid of the issue.