Chocolate and Chronic Pain

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

dark chocolateNew research presented at the Experimental Biology 2018 annual meeting found that chocolate may have some benefits for chronic pain sufferers.

According to the findings, dark chocolate (minimally 70% cacao, 30% organic cane sugar) can positively affect some factors that contribute to or that make chronic pain worse. Researchers say that dark chocolate has been associated with:

  • Decreased stress levels
  • Decreased inflammation
  • Improved mood
  • Improved memory
  • Increased bacterial immunity

“For years, we have looked at the influence of dark chocolate on neurological functions from the standpoint of sugar content – the more sugar, the happier we are,” said principal investigation Lee S. Berk, DrPH. “This is the first time that we have looked at the impact of large amounts of cacao in doses as small as a regular-sized chocolate bar in humans over short or long periods of time, and are encouraged by the findings. These studies show us that the higher the concentration of cacao, the more positive the impact on cognition, memory, mood, immunity and other beneficial effects.”

Dark Chocolate and Chronic Pain

Now, simply sitting in your recliner and munching away on a king size dark chocolate bar isn’t going to cure your rheumatoid arthritis, but in small doses when paired with other treatment modalities like exercise, weight loss and a healthy diet, you may notice some improvements in your condition.

The study looked at a lot of medically-dense responses in the body and brain, and they found that aside from an anti-inflammatory response, dark chocolate also increased brain neuroplasticity. Simply put, neuroplasticity is a good thing that affects our recall, memory and sensory perception. Researchers hope to pursue future studies that will take a closer look at exactly why dark chocolate has this cause-and-effect relationship with the brain and body, but currently they are pleased with what they’ve found so far.

So again, while a candy bar of dark chocolate a day isn’t a good substitute for a chronic pain management plan, adding a small intake of dark chocolate into your diet may help improve your mood and limit some symptom expression. So the next time you’re at the store, pick up a bar of Hersey’s Special Dark and reward yourself with a bite after you’ve completed a physical therapy session or another active pain management treatment. Not only will it taste good, but it can have whole body benefits!