We’ve known now for a few years that polyphenolic flavonoids help reduce symptoms of dementia. These can be from green tea, red wine or any plant that is rich in polyphenols. One of the most intriguing sources of flavonoids is chocolate from cocoa powder. In fact, cocoa is one of the most importance sources of flavonoids in food.
Studies have shown that regular consumption of dark chocolate, which has a high flavonoid content, increases the blood flow to the brain. We discussed this in a previous blog. Researchers from Norway have recently studied the benefits of dark chocolate flavonoids on the ability of elderly people to think clearly. Their results were striking:
In our study, we found that habitual chocolate users performed better in all cognitive tests and had significantly reduced risk for poor test performance in most tests
The authors conclude that the “real” effect of chocolate would be much greater because much of the chocolate consumed in the US and Europe is milk chocolate, which has a significantly lower flavonoid content than dark chocolate.
To avoid this problem, products made with cocoa extracts, standardized to a high flavonoid content, provide the best source of cocoa health benefits, without any of the fats, sugars and other unwanted guests that normally accompany chocolate products.
