Drinking a cup of cocoa, a drink rich in flavonoids known for their anti-inflammatory effects, could be an easy and enjoyable way to combat the fatigue that plagues people with multiple sclerosis. This is what scientists at the Center for Health and Nutrition in Oxford (Great Britain) sought to confirm, who carried out a first clinical trial on 40 patients. The results of this trial have just been published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.
A “slight effect” on fatigue
These 40 patients with multiple sclerosis were divided into two groups. The first group drank a cup of a rich drink every day for 6 weeks in flavonoids consisting of rice milk and cocoa powder, while the other group drank a low-flavonoid drink. During this period, researchers assessed fatigue participants as well as their “fatigability”, that is, how long a patient can maintain cognitive and physical performance before fatigue sets in.
The study found that the flavonoid-rich cocoa drink had a “mild effect on fatigue” and a “moderate effect on fatigue”. Patients in the high flavonoid group also reported experiencing less pain, although the researchers did not measure this symptom.
Scientists admit, however, that a larger, larger study with longer follow-up is needed before advising new nutritional rules for patients with multiple sclerosis.
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