'I feel less tired': Hot chocolate helps people with MS

Drinking a cup of hot chocolate every day can help reduce fatigue in People with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study has found.

People who were given a cocoa drink rich in flavonoids - compounds known for their antioxidant properties - reported less tiredness and pain than those given another drink.

The researchers concluded flavonoids, which are found in various plant-based foods, including raw cacao, could help reduce inflammation in the body.

Around 127,000 People in the UK suffer with MS, which affects the brain and spinal cord, and can cause symptoMS such as probleMS with vision, arm or leg movement, sensation or balance.

A six-week study, funded by the MS Society, of 40 People recently diagnosed with the relapsing remitting form of the disease split patients into two groups.

The first were given a cup of cocoa, rich in flavonoids, while the other half were given a version containing a lower level of flavonoids.

Image:Cocoa is one of the foodstuffs that contain flavonoids

Researchers found those who drank the beverage with a higher dosage of flavonoids were less fatigued.

It is thought the drink could also influence mood, cognitive performance, and the ability to perform certain movements.

Lottie Campion, 35, from Warwickshire, was diagnosed with relapsing MS in 2017, having experienced her first symptoMS shortly after giving birth to her son the previous year.

The part-time marketing assistant said: "My most crippling MS symptom was fatigue, so when I saw People were needed for a trial I thought 'anything is worth a shot'. Plus, I'm a chocolate monster!

"I noticed after just a few weeks that I felt less tired - I couldn't believe it!" ... "I've been drinking it every morning since."

A year later, she says she's finding the fatigue easier to manage: "I still have MS, but I'm pretty confident the hot chocolate is helping. I even tell my friends and family that they should try having a cup to feel more energised!"

Dr Shelly Coe, senior lecturer in nutrition at Oxford Brookes University, said "we now need to know exactly how effective flavonoid-rich hot chocolate is and whether it can benefit all People with MS before it's recommended".

Dr Susan Kohlhaas, director of research at the MS Society, said: "We know fatigue is one of the most common symptoMS of MS and it can have a huge impact on quality of life, so finding more comprehensive treatments that help is one of our top research priorities."

The results were published by the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.