Drinking a cup of cocoa helps to improve the cognitive function of the brain

Original title: Drinking a cup of cocoa helps improve brain cognitive function

Researchers at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have found that if cocoa flavanols are consumed in advance, the brains of healthy adults can recover faster from mild vascular challenges and have complex cognitive functions.

Flavanols are small molecules found in many fruits, vegetables and cocoa.

The research team recruited adult non-smokers with no known brain, heart, blood vessel, or respiratory diseases, on the grounds that any effects seen in this population will provide strong evidence that flavanols can improve healthy people Brain function.

About two hours after eating cocoa, the participants breathed air containing 5% carbon dioxide-about 100 times the normal air concentration.

Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (a technique that uses light to capture changes in blood flow to the brain), the researchers measured the participants’ prefrontal cortex (the brain area that plays a key role in planning, regulating behavior, and decision-making).

The results of this research published in "Scientific Reports" show that, on the whole, the intake of flavanols can improve vascular activity and cognitive function.

(This article is reprinted by "Food Science Network", and the article is from Beijing Youth Daily.