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Consumption of flavanols, natural compounds found in plants, is associated with cognitive and cerebrovascular benefits in healthy adults, according to new research published in Scientific reports. The study provides evidence that intake of flavanols causes faster and greater brain oxygenation in response to the buildup of carbon dioxide in the bloodstream.
“For 10 to 12 years, I have been interested in the health benefits of flavonoids of plant origin, in particular their effects on the brain and cognitive function,” said study author Catarina Rendeiro, responsible Course in Nutritional Sciences at the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Birmingham.
“We have known for many years that flavanols in cocoa (in particular) can improve vascular function in humans by improving vascular / arterial function. These benefits are evident even after a single dose. However, the extent to which some of these benefits might translate into the cerebrovascular system was less clear.
As we have more and more people with dementia and neurodegenerative diseases later in life (and most of us are living longer), it is essential that we make the lifestyle choices (exercise, diet) that can maximize the brain and help delay the onset of cognitive dysfunction as we age, ”explained Rendeiro.
For their study, which used a double-blind methodology, the researchers tested 18 healthy male participants in two separate trials, one in which the subjects were given cocoa rich in flavanols and another in which they were given consumed processed cocoa with very low levels of flavanols. The flavanol-rich cocoa contained 150 mg of epicatechin and 35.5 mg of catechin, while the low-flavanol cocoa contained less than 4 mg of both flavanols.
Participants underwent a standard procedure to challenge blood flow to the brain which involves breathing 5% carbon dioxide – about 100 times the normal concentration in air, producing an effect called hypercapnia. Non-invasive near-infrared spectroscopy, a technique that uses light to capture changes in blood oxygenation levels, has been used to track increases in brain oxygenation in the frontal cortex, a region of the brain that plays a role key in planning, behavior regulation and decision-making.
Participants were then asked to perform a number of progressively complex cognitive tests.
The researchers found that participants who took the flavanol-fortified drink tended to have more efficient tissue oxygenation responses in the frontal cortex. Improved brain oxygenation also appears to translate into improvements in cognitive performance on more complex tasks (but not less complex tasks).
The results indicate that “the consumption of foods rich in flavanols, such as grapes, green tea, apples, berries and unprocessed cocoa powders, may provide levels of flavanols beneficial for oxygenation of the brain and cognitive function, ”Rendeiro told PsyPost.
“The fact that flavanols can be effective even in a healthy brain (where physiology works exactly as it should) is a remarkable finding and it means that we can potentially all benefit from a diet rich in flavanols.”
But as with all research, the study comes with a few caveats.
Women were not included in the study to ensure a more homogeneous sample and to minimize the impact of hormonal fluctuations. “The impact of flavanols in women was not addressed in this study, so it is possible that women react differently. This is something that needs to be looked at in the future, ”explained Rendeiro.
“We also need to better understand the mechanisms underlying these beneficial effects. How do these compounds affect oxygenation levels? “
“Efficient oxygenation of the brain is essential for cognition, and impairments in this process are common in people who are older or at higher risk for cardiovascular disease or dementia. So, in the future, it would be important to see whether these beneficial effects that we see in young people can be translated into populations at risk, as they are likely to benefit the most, ”added Rendeiro.
Although the study looked at the flavanols in natural cocoa powders, ingesting chocolate probably wouldn’t produce the same effect.
“A lot of people tend to associate the goodness of cocoa with chocolate, but they’re two very different things. Cocoas that contain flavanols are normally unprocessed. However, when you process cocoa beans to make chocolate (roasting, alkalizing, etc.), the flavanol content decreases, ”explained Rendeiro.
“Unfortunately, it is difficult to know what the flavanol content is in chocolate products, because these are not declared on the labels. In general, scientific papers that have measured the flavanol content in commercially available chocolates do not appear to find a relationship between cocoa solids content and flavanol levels. “
“So having more cocoa solids doesn’t necessarily equate to more flavanols. Importantly, even chocolates that contain the highest amounts of flavanols are still a bit far from the effective doses. You will need to consume a substantial serving of chocolate to achieve the desired doses and this would not be desirable given the simultaneous intake of sugar and fat. Producing chocolate in a way that retains the flavanol content should be a goal, so that we can get effective doses of flavanols from small amounts of chocolate (1 to 2 squares), ”said Rendeiro.
“The good news is that consuming a variety of foods rich in flavanols, such as grapes, green tea, apples, berries, legumes can provide levels of flavanols that are beneficial for the brain and vascular functions. . “
The study “Dietary flavanols improve cerebral cortical oxygenation and cognition in healthy adults”, was authored by Gabriele Gratton, Samuel R. Weaver, Claire V. Burley, Kathy A. Low, Edward L. Maclin , Paul W. Johns, Quang S Pham, Samuel JE Lucas, Monica Fabiani and Catarina Rendeiro.
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