Chocolates For Your Brain Power

Chocolate may give a short-term boost to cognitive skills and sharpen the mind, as per the University of Nottingham researchers. The researchers credit flavanols, a compound found in chocolate and certain fruits and vegetables with helping people combat fatigue, the results of aging, or sleep deprivation.

Chocolate plays an important role in increasing blood flow to certain areas of the brain causing an improvement of brain performance for 2-3 hours, according to the main researchers of the study.

The results indicated that certain ingredients in chocolate can be used in treating dementia, vascular impairment, or strokes. They are also believed to be beneficial in improving cardiovascular health.

They noted increased activity in certain areas of the brain in those people who drank a cocoa drink rich in flavanol with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Flavanol is present in other food items apart from chocolate. The other sources are: red wine, blueberries, or green tea. Researchers showed the effect of the high-flavanol cocoa drink on blood flow to the brain and suggested that certain ingredients can improve brain function especially in those people suffering from sleep deprivation or fatigue.