Do you have a great memory? Are you a pro at multi-tasking? You may be able to thank chocolate for that.
A new study published in the online journal “Appetite” found that people who eat chocolate at least once a week were more likely to have improved brain ability and performance.
Georgina Crichton, the researcher who led the analysis of the study, told the Washington Post that the benefits of eating chocolate affects daily tasks such as “remembering a phone number, or your shopping list, or being able to do two things at once, like talking and driving at the same time.”
The benefits applied to people who ate both ‘dark’ and ‘milk’ chocolate.
The study indicates that the nutrients in cocoa, called cocoa flavanols, and methlxanthines, which are natural agents found in coffee and tea, are what help enhance the brains ability.
These nutrients also help people who are aging stay mentally sharp.
The study uses data from the the Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study (MSLS), which studies the same individuals over long periods of time to record on aging, heart and cognitive performance.
The MSLS sampled about 1,000 people using a questionnaire between 2001 and 2006.
Though experts have been aware of other benefits from eating chocolate, the effect of consistent chocolate consumption on the brain is a new observation.
The study suggests considering your daily caloric intake before increasing chocolate and cocoa consumption.
