A new study has shown that eating chocolate can boost cognitive function. Published in the Appetite journal, 968 people were evaluated and they showed an increase in cognitive function.
Increased chocolate consumption can be:
“significantly associated with better performance on [cognitive test including] visual-spatial memory and organisation, working memory, scanning and tracking, abstract reasoning, and the mini-mental state examination”.
A group of flavonoids found in chocolate are closely related to positive cognitive functioning. There are more of them in dark chocolate than in milk and white chocolate. Flavonoids are a group of nutrients found in all fruits and vegetables. These are said to explain the benefits of a diet rich in these foods.
Dark chocolate has many health benefits. It contains fiber, iron, magnesium, copper, and manganese. It also has many antioxidants. It can also help lower blood pressure. It may even lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and prevent skin cancer.
Another study found that eating this type of candy can reduce the risk of stroke by twenty percent. It can even help keep you full since dark chocolate is a good source of fiber. Because it increases blood flow, it can also cause a boost in vision by opening up the vessels around the retina.
The sweet treat also has tryptophan which produces serotonin, so it can make your mood better. Of course, the best reason to eat chocolate is because it is delicious, and we all deserve to enjoy our food!
Chocolate is made from a plant called Theobroma cacao tree seeds. The product of these seeds has been used since the Olmec civilization in Mesoamerica. After the discovery of the Americas, it grew to be very popular in Europe.
It can have a lot of calories and sugar, so watch how much you eat. It could lead to weight gain and high blood sugar if you aren’t careful with it.
Featured image by Dick Thomas Johnson via flickr, available under Creative Commons 2.0 license.
