Cocoa and Memory

Small study suggests supplement may support memory in aging New research found that a dietary intervention of flavanols extracted from cocoa beans may improve function in a region of the brain associated with memory. The small study (only 37 participants) showed that after three months of consuming a high-flavanol diet, participants with the typical memory of a 60-year-old improved their memory to that of a 40-year-old. Large-scale, long-term studies are needed before these findings can be generalized, and the researchers cautioned that the findings don’t mean the average person should consume more chocolate or cocoa to boost their memory. Almost all flavanols disappear when the beans are processed into chocolate. Flavanols are also in some teas, wine, fruits, vegetables and other plant species.