Flavanols in cocoa beans can enhance cognitive ability of the elderly

According to a study published online in nature neuroscience, flavanols in cocoa beans, a natural dietary compound in cocoa beans, can enhance cognitive ability of the elderly Age related cognitive decline is closely related to changes in the dentate gyrus (DG) area of the brain Previous studies have suggested that the decline of DG regional function with age may affect the degradation of memory in time Scott A small et al Asked 37 elderly people aged 50 to 69 to take different doses of cocoflavanol for three consecutive months and monitor them to determine whether the flavanol in cocoa can enhance the function and cognitive performance of the DG area of the brain in the elderly In a task that delayed cognitive memory, those who took more flavanols responded faster than those who took less, the researchers reported Compared with different brain scanning images before and after administration of flavanol, the researchers found that the enhancement of cognitive function after administration of flavanol was related to the increase of blood volume in the DG area of the brain, which means that increasing the high intake of cocoa flavanol in the diet can improve the function of the DG area of the brain in the elderly, thus enhancing their cognitive function Original search: Adam m Brickman, Usman a Khan, Frank a Provenzano, Lok Kin Yeung, Wendy Suzuki, Hagen Schroeter, Melanie wall, Richard P Sloan & Scott a small Enhancing dentate gyrus function with diacy flavanols improvements alignment in older adults Nature Neuroscience, 26 October 2014; doi: 10.1038/nn.3850