According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, places where chocolate consumption is highest have the most Nobel Prize winners. It could be coincidence, however, the new review summarizes the evidence and concludes with a “maybe.”
It’s a fact that with age come diseases caused by dementia such as stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. In view of an aging population, predictions are that dementia will become much more common in the near future. Yet there are no highly effective treatments for dementia.
As for preventive measures, the best recommendations remain: regular exercise, a healthy diet, not smoking, and drinking only in moderation. “Brain exercise” and a variety of supplements are unproven for prevention of cognitive decline.
A new review, published in the Frontiers in Nutrition, found that dark chocolate and cocoa, may benefit human brain function due to flavonoids that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Some findings:
Short-term consumption may be helpful. A 2011 study of young adults found that two hours after consuming dark chocolate (with high flavarol content), memory and reaction time were better than among those consuming white chocolate.
Long-term consumption may also be helpful. One 2014 study found that adults, ages 50 to 69, taking a cocoa supplement with high flavarol for three months had better performance on tests of memory than those assigned to take a low-flavanol cocoa supplement.
Several studies demonstrated evidence of improved brain blood flow, oxygen levels, or nerve function, but because these changes were not routinely associated with improved performance on cognitive tasks, it’s hard to connect the results to better brain function.
Although these findings are encouraging, more research is needed since most studies were small and did not eliminate the possibility of a placebo effect.