Chocolate and chronic fatigue syndrome:
High cocoa polyphenol rich chocolate may reduce the burden of the symptoms in chronic fatigue syndrome. Results of a small double-blind, randomized crossover study with 10 individuals indicate that daily consumption of high cocoa liquor/polyphenol rich chocolate (HCL/PR) significantly improved symptoms of chronic fatigue, as measured using the Chalder Fatigue Scale, after 8 weeks, compared with a placebo made to look like chocolate. (11)
Chocolate and asthma:
Cocoa and chocolate have a significant effect on lung function due to the theobromine and theophylline content. Simons FE et al found that an average dose of 468 mg of theobromine and an average dose of 249 mg of theophylline each separately promoted significant improvements in all pulmonary function tests (15). 468 mg of theobromine is equivalent to about 50 grams of a dark chocolate bar containing 70-90% cocoa (standard chocolate bars contain 100 grams of dark chocolate). Dark chocolate is less palatable than milk chocolate, but contains much more theobromine per given amount of fat content. Cocoa powder may also be mixed into a drink or used in a recipe of choice. Chocolate and cocoa is also known to act as a cough suppressant (16).