Future studies
milk chocolate, pain
Future studies using a cross-over design should investigate the significance of cocoa as a factor in pain experience, including the amount ingested and the duration of analgesic effects after ingestion. For example, chocolates similar in taste and sugar/sweetness content, but with different cocoa concentration (70% vs 30–34%), should be used to investigate the extent to which the cocoa itself influences the perceived pain. Lastly, studies should compare commercially available chocolate with the ones used in this study, as they differ in cocoa content, particularly the white chocolate and to some extent the milk chocolate.