Cocoa could help brain function
Tuesday August 14th, 2012
Naturally occurring compounds in cocoa could help to improve brain function, a study out yesterday has claimed.
It
is thought that flavanols may act on the brain structure and protect neurons
from injury, which improves metabolism and their interaction with the
molecular structure responsible for memory.
Writing in the latest edition of Hypertension yesterday (August 13), Dr Giovambattista Desideri, University of L'Aquila, Italy, said his study “provides encouraging evidence that consuming cocoa flavanols, as a part of a calorie-controlled and nutritionally-balanced diet, could improve cognitive function”.
A total of 90 elderly participants with mild brain impairment were given either 990 milligrams (high), 520 mg (intermediate) or 45 mg (low) of a dairy-based cocoa flavanol drink to drink daily for eight weeks.
Their diet was restricted to eliminate other sources of flavanols from food and drink, such as tea, grapes, red wine, apples and cocoa products.
Their brain function was tested via a series of neuro-psychological tests, which included testing of executive function, working memory, short-term memory, long-term episodic memory, processing speed and global cognition.
Those who drank high and intermediate levels of flavanol drinks scored much higher when relating visual stimuli to motor responses, working memory, task-switching and verbal memory.
Researchers also found that participants who drank higher levels of flavanol drinks had significantly higher overall cognitive scores than those participants drinking lower-levels.
Insulin resistance, blood pressure and oxidative stress also reduced in those who took high and intermediate levels of flavanols daily.
“The positive effect on cognitive function may be mainly mediated by an improvement in insulin sensitivity,” says Dr Desideri, director of Geriatric Division, Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila.
“It is yet unclear whether these benefits in cognition are a direct consequence of cocoa flavanols or a secondary effect of general improvements in cardiovascular function.”
He said the larger studies were needed to validate the findings.
Mars Inc. funded the study and provided the standardised cocoa drinks.
Tags: Brain & Neurology | Diet & Food | Europe
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