The guilty pleasure that can reverse memory loss in just 12 weeks

Dark chocolatefrom the OmniVista Health Learning News Desk

It can be hard to resist those bakery cases full of toxic desserts that are oh-so-conveniently in your path to the grocery store produce section. But it turns out there is one tasty temptation you actually don’t have to avoid.

A true fan favorite – chocolate. Not the processed, sugary garbage that masquerades as “milk” or white chocolate, but unsweetened or minimally-sweetened dark chocolate. Not only is it delicious, but it’s also packed with nutrients.

The cocoa in chocolate is full of flavonols, which are a type of antioxidant. Numerous studies have found that these flavonols can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol, reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease. And a growing amount of research is showing that chocolate can also feed your brain as well as your taste buds.

In fact, two new studies report that cocoa flavonols can actually reverse cognitive decline and memory loss in older adults.

For the first study, researchers gathered 90 people, ages 65 to 80, who had mild cognitive impairment but not dementia. Those who drank a chocolate beverage every day scored better on cognition and verbal fluency tests eight weeks later. And they also had lower blood pressure and insulin resistance (a risk factor for diabetes).

The second study, which involved 37 people ages 50 to 69, found that the participants who consumed a chocolate drink every day for three months scored better on memory tests at the end of the study.

“If a participant had the memory of a typical 60-year-old at the beginning of the study, after three months that person on average had the memory of a typical 30- or 40-year-old,” said lead study author Dr. Scott Small of the Columbia University Medical Center.

Of course, it’s critical to be judicious about the type of chocolate you choose. Look for dark chocolate that’s at least 80 to 90 percent cacao. But if you want the most health benefits, go for 100 percent cocoa powder.

It’s not going to taste good by itself. But that’s easy to fix. Mix it with unsweetened almond or coconut milk, along with just enough stevia to cut the bitterness. It’s healthy, simple, and most definitely delicious.

Source:

Mastroiacovo D, et al. Cocoa flavanol consumption improves cognitive function, blood pressure control, and metabolic profile in elderly subjects: the Cocoa, Cognition, and Aging (CoCoA) Study—a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr February 2015 ajcn.092189; First published online December 17, 2014. doi:10.3945/ajcn.114.092189.

Brickman AM, et al. Enhancing dentate gyrus function with dietary flavanols improves cognition in older adults. Nat Neurosci. 2014 Dec;17(12):1798-803. doi: 10.1038/nn.3850. Epub 2014 Oct 26.