Supplementing your diet with cocoa flavanols improves cognitive performance in the elderly and preserves memory. But beware of the abuse of chocolate whose flavanol content is very variable!
- Cocoa flavanols are present in cocoa beans.
- An additional intake of cocoa flavanols is positively correlated with better results on cognitive tests in seniors.
- Although cocoa beans are the basis of chocolate, chocolates are not a reliable source of flavanol compounds.
Chocolate, consumed in moderation, is our health ally. A new study reveals that cocoa flavanols, which are mainly found in cocoa beans, would improve the performance of the elderly in certain cognitive tasks, in particular in terms of their memory. The results of the study were presented on February 15 in the journal Scientific Reports.
Long-term results to be confirmed
The American researchers from Columbia University and New York who carried out the study recruited 211 people, aged 50 to 75. At the start and end of this study, which lasted 12 weeks, participants answered a series of cognitive tests to assess their thinking and memory. The volunteers were divided into four groups and received different intakes of cocoa flavanols: a placebo, a low intake (260 mg), a medium intake (510 mg) and a high intake (770 mg). The researchers then measured the blood flow in their brains using MRI scans.
The results revealed that flavanol intake is positively correlated with better scores on various tests, including those examining memory. “This small trial highlights some possible effects of the flavanols found in cocoa beans over a short periodobserved Susan Kohlhass, director of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK. We would need to see much longer, large-scale studies to fully understand whether a diet high in these flavanols could boost cognition in older adults. We also don’t know how significant the improvements measured in the tests used here would be for people in their daily lives..”
Beware of chocolate consumption
The researchers wanted to warn about the consumption of chocolate which could increase in view of these results and recall that it is indeed the cocoa flavanols which are responsible for the cognitive benefits. “This study did not look at dementia, and we cannot know from this research whether a diet high in cocoa would have any effect in preventing or delaying the onset of the disease.she continues. The study used cocoa flavanol supplements provided to participants. Although cocoa beans are the basis of chocolate, chocolates are not a reliable source of flavanol compounds and this study does not suggest that chocolate consumption is good for our cognitive health..”
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