Mexican scientists have developed an "antidepressive chocolate" they hope will lift the spirits of patients with a sweet tooth, El Diario reported.

The researchers from San Luis Potosí added the coenzyme Q10 to the tasty offering; the oil-soluble, vitamin-like substance helps the human body generate energy and supports the functioning of muscles, including the heart -- all without altering the taste of the product.

The chocolate, which its inventors presented as "MChocolat con Q10," will be especially helpful to women between the ages of 35 and 45, Norma Estela Orozco Sánchez, the director of the Center for Confectionary Investigation and Training, told El Diario. It will be available as an 8-gram bar and cost 5 Mexican pesos, or about 33 cents.

Mexico's National Council for Science and Technology, which supported the investigators' research, helped present the chocolate at the the International Sweets and Biscuits Fair in Germany, where it said it received "good acceptance."

Researcher from the Autonomous University of San Luis Potosí's medical school were the first to draw the connection between the coenzyme-infused chocolate and the alleviation of the effects of depression, Ángulo 7 noted. The positive impact of Q10, however, has long been well-known, the Richmond County (North Carolina) Daily Journal reported.

The substance can help lower systolic blood pressure in patients suffering from hypertension, alleviate heart conditions due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and - in very large doses - slow the progression of early Parkinson's disease, the newspaper enumerated.

"Research continues to cover a range of potential benefits, but according to the Natural Standards, which evaluate complementary and alternative therapies, there is unclear and inconsistent scientific evidence in humans" and "many claims for (Q10) are overblown," the Richmond County Daily Journal cautioned.

Individuals who eat a healthy and balanced diet may not be in need of additional sources of the coenzyme, the newspaper noted. And in the United States, Q10 is not approved for the treatment of any medical condition, such as depression, by the Food and Drug Administration.