Chocolate is Good for the Brain, Too!
Yep, latest research indicate that chocolate are brain foods, for exactly the same reasons why flavonol-rich cocoa is good for the heart: by promoting better blood flow.
“Our study showed that acute consumption of this particular flavanol-rich cocoa beverage was associated with increased blood flow to grey matter for 2 to 3 hours,” Macdonald said. “This raises the possibility that certain food components like cocoa flavanols may be beneficial in increasing brain blood flow and enhancing brain function among older adults or for others in situations where they may be cognitively impaired, such as fatigue or sleep deprivation.”
It’s too early to tell, of course, but could chocolate be the new prophylactic for preventing cognitive decline and dementia? Hm, like I need another alibi to eat chocolates. ;)
Tags: alzheimers, brain, brain-food, cardiovascular-disease, cardiovascular-health, Chocolate, demetia, diet, flavonoids, flavonol, functional-food, health, health-food, Healthy Eating, healthy-diet, heart-attack, learning, memory, nutraceuticals, nutritionRelated Stories
POSTED IN: ~Healthy Aging, ~Healthy Snacks, ~Mental Health
3 opinions for Chocolate is Good for the Brain, Too!
Jul
Feb 19, 2007 at 7:27 am
No wonder I’m so smart! :)
Talia Mana, Centre for Emotional Well-Being
Feb 24, 2007 at 1:17 am
It would be nice to think chocolate helped the brain but the reality is that it usually comes with sugar which can lead to hypoglycaemia and brain fogginess. Such a shame…
ruth
Feb 24, 2007 at 2:06 am
Well, not necessarily. As I’ve said in a previous post, if one wants to harness such medicinal powers, one has to go for dark chocolates, not cheap chocolate candies.
It’s too simple to say sugar consumption leads to hypoglycemia. In truth, with moderate consumption, it rarely does in healthy individuals.
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