How To Enhance Cognitive Abilities? Dark Chocolate Could Boost Brain Skills, Study Finds

Regular dietary intake of cocoa and chocolate could improve general cognition, attention, processing speed, and working memory, a new study found. In a recent review published in Frontiers in Nutrition, Italian researchers studied the effect of cocoa flavanols on the brain and the impact its additional consumption has on the body. The research found participants showed enhancements in working memory performance and improved visual information processing after eating cocoa flavanols -- a class of natural compounds that has neuroprotective effects. The study also found that women who consumed cocoa after a night of total sleep deprivation actually counteracted the cognitive impairment a night without sleep results in. The study, which was conducted on young and healthy adults, investigated the effects of relatively long-term consumption of cocoa flavanols -- ranging from 5 days up to 3 months -- in elderly individuals.