Cocoa is an excellent food for improving memory, says a group of scientists from Italy and the USA. They studied the effect of flavonoids, which are rich in cocoa, on the mental state of a person.. It turned out that these substances have a beneficial effect on the structure and functions of the brain.. They also indirectly stimulate its blood supply.. In addition to cocoa, this type of flavonoids (flavonols) is found in grapes, red wine, tea and apples..

Flavonols protect neurons from damage by improving their interaction with the molecular structure responsible for our memory, writes the journal Hypertension. He published the results of an eight-week experiment involving 90 elderly people suffering from age-related brain disorders..

Volunteers were divided into three groups. The first was given 990 milligrams of cocoa per person per day, the second was given 520 milligrams, and the third was only 45 milligrams.. It turned out that by the end of the experiment, the second and first groups had a significant improvement in brain function: they solved cognitive tests better, their operational and verbal memory strengthened..

Other pleasant surprises included a reduction in blood pressure and insulin dependence..

The head of the geriatrics department at the Faculty of Social and Environmental Sciences of the University of Aquile (Italy), MD Giovambatista Desideri, explains that the positive effect of cocoa can be caused precisely by a decrease in insulin sensitivity.

True, experts were unable to find out whether memory stimulation is associated with the direct intake of flavonols, or whether this is a pleasant side effect of improving cardiovascular activity.. One way or another, experience proves that in reasonable amounts, cocoa can be part of a diet that supports brain function..

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