Could Hot Cocoa Improve Brainpower in Seniors?
Could Hot Cocoa Improve Brainpower in Seniors?
By Randy Dotinga
HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 7 (HealthDay News) -- A preliminary new study links two cups of hot cocoa per day to improved memory skills in seniors who had low levels of blood flow in their brains.
So, should you start stocking up on Swiss Miss? Not necessarily.
The research is too limited to prove that cocoa directly boosted the brainpower of those with lower blood flow in the brain, and the findings don't say anything about long-term effects. In addition, drinking two cups of a sweet drink each day could cause or worsen obesity, which is linked to declines in brain function.
"Before we recommend cocoa, it's important to go back and figure out what's in it that's doing this and make sure it's sustainable," said study author Dr. Farzaneh Sorond, an assistant professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School. "I'd prefer people wait until we figure out how to get the benefit without the calories, sugar and fat that comes in cocoa."
Still, the research is allowing scientists to get a better handle on a somewhat mysterious topic -- the flow of blood in the brain. The brain cells known as neurons need fuel to do their job, and blood provides it.
"The brain is a greedy organ, with just 2 percent of body mass and 20 percent of energy requirements," explained Andrew Scholey, director of the Center for Human Psychopharmacology at Swinburne University in Australia. "It requires a constant supply of blood to deliver the metabolic fuels of glucose and oxygen. Blood flow to the brain reduces with aging, and this correlates with cognitive [mental] decline."
Previous research has linked cocoa, which is found in chocolate, to health benefits. In the new study, researchers wanted to find out if it would affect blood flow in the brain, and brainpower itself.
The researchers recruited 60 people with an average age of 73 and assigned them to 30 days of either drinking cocoa rich in flavanol -- which is linked to improved blood flow -- or drinking cocoa low in flavanol. The special cocoa was provided by Mars Inc., but the company didn't have any other role in the study.
HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 7 (HealthDay News) -- A preliminary new study links two cups of hot cocoa per day to improved memory skills in seniors who had low levels of blood flow in their brains.
So, should you start stocking up on Swiss Miss? Not necessarily.
The research is too limited to prove that cocoa directly boosted the brainpower of those with lower blood flow in the brain, and the findings don't say anything about long-term effects. In addition, drinking two cups of a sweet drink each day could cause or worsen obesity, which is linked to declines in brain function.
"Before we recommend cocoa, it's important to go back and figure out what's in it that's doing this and make sure it's sustainable," said study author Dr. Farzaneh Sorond, an assistant professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School. "I'd prefer people wait until we figure out how to get the benefit without the calories, sugar and fat that comes in cocoa."
Still, the research is allowing scientists to get a better handle on a somewhat mysterious topic -- the flow of blood in the brain. The brain cells known as neurons need fuel to do their job, and blood provides it.
"The brain is a greedy organ, with just 2 percent of body mass and 20 percent of energy requirements," explained Andrew Scholey, director of the Center for Human Psychopharmacology at Swinburne University in Australia. "It requires a constant supply of blood to deliver the metabolic fuels of glucose and oxygen. Blood flow to the brain reduces with aging, and this correlates with cognitive [mental] decline."
Previous research has linked cocoa, which is found in chocolate, to health benefits. In the new study, researchers wanted to find out if it would affect blood flow in the brain, and brainpower itself.
The researchers recruited 60 people with an average age of 73 and assigned them to 30 days of either drinking cocoa rich in flavanol -- which is linked to improved blood flow -- or drinking cocoa low in flavanol. The special cocoa was provided by Mars Inc., but the company didn't have any other role in the study.
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