Flavanols rich cocoa may improve brain health

New studies have found that eating or drinking a certain kind of chocolate can boost brain power, giving chocolate lovers one more reason to eat this flavoring agent.

A panel of scientists, who presented new data on Sunday at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), has found that chocolate containing a certain type of cocoa made to be rich in flavanols, a naturally occurring nutrient abundant in fresh cocoa, improves blood flow to a person's brain.

Besides boosting a person's brain capability, it is also helpful at slowing down brain degeneration as a person ages, the report says.

Several earlier studies suggest that consumption of flavanols rich cocoa may improve blood vessel function. Now, new report links the potential blood flow benefits associated with consumption of this special cocoa with the development of the brain, which could have important implications for learning and memory.

In a small study, which was funded by candy maker Mars Incorporated, Ian MacDonald of England's University of Nottingham performed tests on young women who were asked to do a complex task while their brains were being studied with magnetic resonance imaging.

Women, who received drinks of cocoa high in flavanols, showed significant improvement in blood flow to the brain than those subjects who did not drink the cocoa, though the beverage did not improve their performance on the tests.

This study proves that flavanols maybe a good source of treating patients with dementia, a condition that is marked by decreased blood flow to the brain, MacDonald said.

"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."

The private company Mars provided a specially formulated liquid cocoa concoction for the research. Its CocoaVia line of chocolates, made with a process that retains flavanols, has been shown in clinical trials to have benefits for the heart.

Another U.S. study of healthy adults over 50, conducted by Harvard Medical School researcher Dr. Norman Hollenberg, also found a significant rise in blood flow. Dr. Hollenberg has studied the effects of cocoa and flavanols on Panama's Kuna Indian population, who consume cocoa heavily.

Hollenberg, who used death certificates to conduct the research, compared the cause of specific deaths on island-dwelling Kuna to those who live on mainland Panama, and do not drink the flavanol-rich cocoa.

In their findings, which are published this month in the International Journal of Medical Sciences, Hollenberg and fellow researchers reported the Kuna Indians living on the islands had significantly lower rates of heart disease and cancer compared to those on the mainland.

An estimated risk of death from heart disease on the Panama mainland was 1,280 percent higher than on the islands and fatal rate from cancer was 630 percent higher.

The researchers, however, said it was too early to conclude that chocolate led to better health. "The only way we can prove something is working is a large clinical trial," Hollenberg said.