EATING CHOCOLATE TEMPORARILY IMPROVES BRAIN FUNCTION

Lisa C. Routh, M.D.

2007

Eating chocolate could result in a sharper mind and improved cognitive skills for up to three hours according to finding presented at the 2007 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Previous studies have revealed that chocolate may be beneficial for maintaining cardiovascular health, this study, funded in part by the candy company Mars, Inc, was deemed the first systematic review of chocolate’s effects on learning and memory.

The boost in brain-power is a result of the flavonols found in cocoa, which are responsible for adding blood flow to key areas of the brain and may lead to increased performance in specific tasks and to general alertness.

Reference: NeuroPsychiatry Reviews March 2007