Want a boosted brain? Ever consider just sitting down and eating a some dark chocolates to enhance brain function?

An expert at the University of Nottingham has found that eating chocolate gives the brain a powerful short-term boost to cognitive skills! A study lead by Professor Ian McDonald found that a cocoa drink rich in “flavanols” — a key ingredient in dark chocolate — boosts bloodflow to key cognitive areas of the brain for 2-3 hours after consumption.

Increased blood flow to these areas enhances overall alertness and task-performance for the short-term. These findings were released @ one of the biggest scientific conferences in America. Ingredients in chocolate are now being studied to treat dementia and strokes. The study also demonstrates that the “cocoa flavanols” could be used to help people fight fatigue, sleep deprivation, and to combat the effects of aging.

How do the “flavanols” work in the brain?

In the study, an MRI was used to show where and how the brain was able to produce increased blood flow due to the “flavanols.” The effect from a single drink of “flavanol-rich” cocoa is linked tothe dilation of cerebral blood-vessels, allowing more blood flow (therefore more oxygen) to reach the key areas of the brain. Professor MacDonald stated, “Acute consumption of this particular flavanol-rich cocoa beverage was associated with increased grey matter flow for two to three hours.”

The brain boosting ingredient, “flavanols” is also found to be rich in Green Tea, Red Wine, and Blueberries. Professor Nottingham emphasized that the level of “flavanols” used in the study was significantly formulated for the study and is not available for sale.

References: University of Nottingham. “Boosting Brain Power — With Chocolate.” ScienceDaily 22 February 2007. 10 January 2008.

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