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BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom – As winter arrives, hot tea and cocoa naturally become popular drink choices with many people. Drinking cocoa is not only the popular choice, but also the “smart” choice, a new study finds. Researchers at the University of Birmingham claim that consuming products rich in flavanols, such as cocoa, increases mental performance.
Flavanols are a group of molecules found naturally in fruits and vegetables. They are part of the plant flavonoid family and are common in cocoa, grapes, apples, tea, berries, and even wine. While previous studies reveal that these molecules can improve brain health, the new report reveals that they also boost brain-blood oxygenation levels. The results show that it actually helps people think faster and deal with cognitive challenges more effectively.
“We have used cocoa in our experiment, but flavanols are extremely common in a wide range of fruits and vegetables. By better understanding the cognitive benefits of consuming these food groups, as well as the broader cardiovascular benefits, we can offer people improved advice on how to get the most from their food choices, ”says the author. principal, Dr. Catarina Rendeiro, in an academic press release. .
Can a cup of cocoa lighten your head?
The study looked at 18 healthy men between the ages of 18 and 40. Before testing to see how the flavanols affect their brains, the researchers challenged each participant’s bloodstream by making them breathe five percent carbon dioxide. This is about 100 times the normal amount in the air and produces an effect called hypercapnia in the body.
Using non-invasive near-infrared spectroscopy, a method that uses light to see changes in blood oxygenation levels, the researchers followed how the group responded to carbon dioxide after drinking flavanols. Each man underwent these tests twice, before and after having had his cocoa.
This procedure was done twice, once with a cocoa drink enriched with flavanols and again with a regular cocoa drink. The group then performed a series of progressively complex mental tests.
The authors of the study reveal that participants drinking a drink rich in flavanols had the highest levels of blood oxygenation after suffering from hypercapnia. Some had levels three times higher than when they consumed a drink not fortified with flavanols. The volunteers also saw their blood oxygenation increase one minute faster than the consumption of unfortified cocoa.
More flavanol can also make you look sharper
Cognitive reviews reveal that cocoa rich in flavanols also helps people cope better with mental problems. The study found significant improvements in speed and accuracy when subjects took drinks fortified with flavanols compared to regular cocoa. On average, the group completed the most complex tests 11% faster than when consuming unfortified drinks.
“Our results showed a clear benefit for the participants taking the flavanol-fortified drink – but only when the task became complicated enough,” says Dr Rendeiro. “We can relate this to our results on improving blood oxygenation – if you are challenged more, your brain needs improved blood oxygen levels to handle that challenge. It also suggests that flavanols could be particularly beneficial during cognitively demanding tasks ”.
The researchers note that not all people in the study benefited from a flavanol supplement in their cocoa. Participants with already high levels of cerebral oxygenation at the start of the experiment did not see any additional performance from the fortified cocoa.
“This may indicate that some people, who may already be very fit, have little room for further improvement,” adds the researcher from Birmingham’s School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences. “The small group of participants who did not respond to flavanol gives us additional evidence to confirm the link between increased brain blood oxygenation and cognitive ability.
The study appears in the journal Scientific reports.
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