Chocolate Eases Pain

As if you needed another reason to indulge: A bit of chocolate really can melt away pain, scientists say.

The reason? Distraction. (A drink for pleasure – and not necessarily of the alcoholic variety – will also do the trick.)

Researchers at the University of Chicago gave rats either a chocolate chip, sugar water, or regular water. As the rat swallowed, a light-bulb beneath the cage was switched – hot enough that it usually caused the rodent to lift its paw off the floor. But with the distraction of food or drink (yes, the water worked, too) the animals were much slower to raise their paw.

"It's a strong, strong effect, but it's not about hunger or appetite," lead researcher Peggy Mason told Science Daily. The results of the study are published in Wednesday’s Journal of Neuroscience. "If you have all this food in front of you that's easily available to reach out and get, you're not going to stop eating, for basically almost any reason."

She suggests the study could have practical applications for kids – and even adults -- in places like the doctor’s office.

"Ingestion is a painkiller, but we don't need the sugar," Mason said. "So replace the doctor's lollipop with a drink of water."

Not exactly sweet relief, is it?

Photo courtesy Ambernectar 13 via Flickr.