Dark chocolate and cocoa ingredients do not improve motor
function for those with Parkinson’s disease despite increased
consumption among those with the disease, according to a study.
A previous questionnaire study by the authors of the present
study suggested that those with Parkinson’s disease consumed
more chocolate than average, which raised prospects that the
tasty treat could improve the motor function of sufferers.
However, Alexander Storch et al. found in a study available
online ahead of publication in the Journal of Neurology that no
link existed. “Our results do not support the hypothesis that
dark chocolate or its cocoa ingredients improve motor function
in Parkinson’s disease as a feasible explanation for increased
chocolate consumption,” said the study. Clinical trials were
conducted at the Division of Neurodegenerative Disorders at
Dresden University in Germany in which 26 Parkinson’s sufferers
were given either 200g of dark chocolate or 200g of white
chocolate without any cacao. The white choc