Coe, Shelly

Dr Shelly Coe, Oxford Brookes University

Flavonoids are a group of compounds found in a lot of plant-based foods, including dark chocolate with cocoa levels of over 70 per cent being richest in flavonoids. They’re thought to help reduce inflammation and the damage caused by oxidative stress which may exacerbate fatigue – all of which are increased in those with MS. 40 people with the relapsing form of MS will be given hot chocolate daily over six weeks – half will get a flavonoid-rich cocoa drink and the others will get a cocoa drink with low levels of flavonoids.

'We’ve run the idea of this trial past a lot of people such as those at MS support groups and medics, and they’ve really liked it.’

“We’ll be looking at the impact of cocoa flavonoids on pro inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress and glutamate/ glutathione levels.  There is no cure for fatigue and current medications to treat the symptom all show limitations.  However, flavonoids found in cocoa can be weak antagonists of the NMDA-type glutamate receptor, and are involved in various other anti inflammatory processes in the body.’