Cup of cocoa a day may help memory in elderly: study
Drinking a cup of hot chocolate before bed may stave off memory problems in the elderly, research has suggested.
By Rebecca Smith, Medical Editor
7:20AM BST 14 Aug 2012
A study has found that people who were given cocoa drinks had better working memories, higher scores in reasoning tests and improved blood sugar control than those who did not have them.
Cocoa contains high levels of flavonols which are also found in tea, grapes, red wine and apples which are thought to protect brain cells from damage.
Researchers gave 90 people with mild thinking problems, which can precede dementia, daily drinks containing large or intermediate amounts of cocoa flavonols for eight weeks.
Other flavonol containing foods were restricted to establish the dose each person was getting and they were compared with people drinking low levels of cocoa.
The findings were published in the journal Hypertension.
The participants drank either 990 milligrams, 520 mg or 45 mg of a dairy-based cocoa flavonol drink.
They each underwent cognitive testing on memory function, brain processing speeds and general thinking ability.
They found those drinking cocoa scored better on tests involving working memory, switching tasks and verbal memory.
They also had high cognitive scores had scores significantly improved in the ability to relate visual stimuli to motor responses, working memory, task-switching and verbal memory for those drinking the high and intermediate flavonol drinks.
Dr Giovambattista Desideri, study lead author and director of Geriatric Division, at University of L’Aquila in Italy, said: “This study provides encouraging evidence that consuming cocoa flavonols, as a part of a calorie-controlled and nutritionally-balanced diet, could improve cognitive function.
“The positive effect on cognitive function may be mainly mediated by an improvement in insulin sensitivity. It is yet unclear whether these benefits in cognition are a direct consequence of cocoa flavonols or a secondary effect of general improvements in cardiovascular function.
“Given the global rise in cognitive disorders, which have a true impact on an individual’s quality of life, the role of cocoa flavonols in preventing or slowing the progression of mild cognitive impairment to dementia warrants further research.
“Larger studies are needed to validate the findings, figure out how long the positive effects will last and determine the levels of cocoa flavonols required for benefit.”
