New research on chocolate suggests that the flavonols, the ingredients in cocoa, improve cognition and blood pressure in elderly patients who have mild cognitive impairment that may lead to Alzheimer’s disease.
In the study, elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment consumed cocoa that contained low, medium, or high levels of flavonols. Cognitive functions – including short- and long-term memory, processing speed, and general thinking skills – were tested after eight weeks. The results improved in patients who drank beverages with medium to high levels of flavonols. The higher the concentration of these compounds, the more progress the patients made with the tests – they completed the tests faster and recalled more information, the researchers found.
This is the first nutritional study to show that regular consumption of cocoa flavonols can effectively improve brain function in elderly people with mild cognitive impairment, wrote study author Giovambattista Desideri, professor of internal medicine and public health at L’Aquila University in Italy. He adds that there is growing evidence that consuming moderate amounts of chocolate can be positive.
There is a large and growing body of evidence that links cocoa with a lot of flavonols to its health benefits, says Dr. David Katz, director of public health research at Yale University.
However, many scientists have objected to the reliability of the study. First of all, it did not have a control group. People who consumed large amounts of cocoa were compared to those who ate small amounts, not those who consumed no flavonols at all. Another issue is the very short test period. It was known that the compounds improve heart function in a short time, and thus could improve cognitive functions thanks to better blood flow in the brain. The study was sponsored by Mars, a company that produces chocolate products.
Previous research has shown that dark chocolate reduces the risk of heart disease. The flavonols, which can also be found in tea and dark fruit such as red grapes, cherries, and apples, are known to improve kidney function, help with weight problems, anemia, gout, diabetes, and stroke. (PAP)
kkt/ tot/