A new study has shown that drinking hot chocolate can temporarily boost a person’s intelligence.
Researchers at the University of Birmingham in England recently studied 18 healthy men. Those who were given cocoa to drink temporarily performed better on some cognitive tasks than those who were not. So why did this cocoa improve their cognitive thinking? The answer is flavonoids.
Flavonoids are found in many different fruits and vegetables, including cocoa beans. In this case, the cocoa given to the participants was rich in flavonoids. They are already known to have a positive effect on the cardiovascular system. Our body needs oxygen to survive and consequently a person with a higher level of oxygen in their blood can think more clearly. This is where those magical cocoa beans and seeds come into play. The study suggests that the increase in blood oxygen saturation is likely due to the temporary consumption of flavonoid-enriched cocoa. Those who drank the flavonoid cocoa were able to improve test scores by an average of 11%. (You’ve probably read the word “flavonoids” more times in the last 40 seconds than you have in your entire life)
So does this mean we should start downing cocoa?
The researchers’ goal was to offer better choices for eating and drinking. However, this is not an invitation to sip cocoa. But who needs an excuse?
What research leader Dr. Catarina Rendeiro had to say about this is nevertheless very interesting: “Our results showed a clear advantage for the participants who took the flavonoid-enriched drink – but only when the task became sufficiently complicated. We can link this to our findings on improved blood oxygenation – when you are challenged more, the brain needs improved oxygen levels in the blood to cope with the challenge. It also suggests that flavonoids may be particularly useful in cognitively demanding tasks.”
We are all aware of the important role that vitamins and minerals play in our health and well-being. Nevertheless, it’s always good to have as much information about our food as possible – especially if it gives us a reason to enjoy a delicious cup of cocoa every now and then.