New studies show chocolate may keep brain healthy

I didn’t need a reason before to eat chocolate, but now it seems I really must go on enjoying my friendship with this delicious food! This weekend had a chocolatey feeling to it as yesterday’s annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) included a special session. This was titled “The Neurobiology of Chocolate: A Mind-Altering Experience?”

Ian MacDonald of England's University of Nottingham reported on tests given to young women who were asked to do a complex task while their brains were being studied with magnetic resonance imaging. Among the women given drinks of cocoa high in flavonols, there was a significant increase in blood flow to the brain compared with subjects who did not drink the cocoa, he said.

Everybody knows chocolate can be good for your love life, even if it's not so good for the teeth and waistline. Now there's another excuse to indulge: It may be good for your brain. Scientists funded in part by the Mars Inc. candy company delivered the not-unwelcome news Sunday morning during what was described as the first systematic review of chocolate's effects on learning and memory.

Recent studies have suggested that cocoa or dark chocolate may possess certain beneficial effects on human health. Dark chocolate, with its high cocoa content, is a rich source of the flavonoids epicatechin and gallic acid, which are thought to possess cardioprotective properties.

Recent studies have suggested that cocoa or dark chocolate may possess certain beneficial effects on human health. Dark chocolate, with its high cocoa content, is a rich source of the flavonoids epicatechin and gallic acid, which are thought to possess cardioprotective properties.