The chocolate treat found to improve your memory as soon as you’ve eaten it
Dark chocolate proven to boost brain power within minutes
- New scientific research suggests that dark chocolate may enhance memory and boost brain power.
- A study on mice found that flavanols, compounds abundant in dark chocolate, red wine, and berries, improved cognitive function for about an hour after consumption.
- Mice given flavanols before a memory challenge were approximately 30 per cent better at identifying new objects compared to a control group.
- Scientists propose that the bitter taste of flavanols triggers a burst of noradrenaline in the hippocampus, the brain region crucial for converting short-term memories into long-term ones.
- The research indicates that flavanol intake can induce physiological responses similar to those from exercise, acting as a moderate stressor that activates the central nervous system and improves attention, arousal, and memory.