Dark Chocolate reduces CFS study suggestes

A daily dose of dark chocolate may help reduce the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, say UK researchers.

Researchers from Hull York Medical School said the results were surprising but dark chocolate may be having an effect on the brain chemical serotonin.

Study leader Professor Steve Atkin, an expert in endocrinology, said the idea for the study came after a patient reported feeling much better after swapping her normal milk chocolate for dark chocolate with a high cocoa solid content.Those taking dark chocolate reported significantly less fatigue and reported feeling more fatigue when they stopped eating it

“Dark chocolate is high in polyphenols, which have been associated with health benefits such as a reduction in blood pressure.

Also high polyphenols appear to improve levels of serotonin in the brain, which has been linked with chronic fatigue syndrome and that may be a mechanism.”

“If you derive benefit, then it’s a no-harm, no-risk situation

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"It takes just as much faith to bear a burden as it does to believe that it can be removed." This statement came across my email desk and stopped me cold. (For those of you who read my  work regularly, you know how profound phrases can capture my attention.)

We all bear burdens of one type or another: financial, physical, personal, relational, circumstantial. What if we took that energy–after all, it does take energy to carry a burden–and applied it to our faith instead of our fears? What a great idea! But how?

It occurs to me that Scripture needs to enter the picture here. If every time I felt fearful about my finances, I would repeat the Scripture: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God…" (Phil. 4:6-7a NIV) surely my focus would shift from fear to faith.

Faith is like a muscle and needs to be exercised to become effective. The more Scripture exercising I can do, the stronger my faith can become. Notice I use the word "can." There is more to this exercising than glibly reciting words. Think of the Holy Spirit as your fitness trainer. The Holy Spirit brings to mind Scripture verses you need at the time you need them. Of course, if you have no Scripture in your heart, then you have little to draw on.

So the first step is to memorize Scripture. I belong to a group of ladies who have health issues, and who are fearful that they cannot memorize Scripture. Through multiple techniques for memorizing, these ladies are well on their way to having Phil 4:6-7 down in their hearts. (If you would like to find out how to increase your Scripture memory power, go to the page "Empower yourself by Memorizing Scripture" of this blog.)

Memorizing is not enough, or a parrot could be saved. Holy Spirit power needs to be tapped into as we quote God’s powerful words of truth. As we present our requests to God, we must also believe that our God has already answered our need. And if He has answered our need, then we can be sure that our burden is removed. Let’s put our faith in God providing the solution rather than us carrying the burden.

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