The flavanols in cocoa improve memory in the elderly

According to the findings of scientists at Columbia University, flavanols contained in cocoa may help with age decrease in memory.

The results show that age-related memory loss in the elderly is associated with changes in some regions of the brain and can be improved by dietary intervention. Previous studies have established that changes in a specific part of the brain: the dentate gyrus are associated with age-related decline in memory. The researchers conducted the experiment on 37 elderly volunteers aged 50-69 years.

Participants were asked to consume the drink from cacao flavonols. One of the men were randomly assigned to a group, poluchivshuyu 900 mg of flavonols per day, another 10 mg of these antioxidants for 3 months. The participants also passed a brain scan and the test exercises the memory.

Neuropsychologist Adam M. Brickman says, "When examined, the brain of our subjects, we found noticeable improvements in the function of the dentate gyrus in those who consumed a drink high in cocoa flavanols". Also this group showed the best results in test exercises the memory. One of the authors said that "if in the beginning of the study, participants had the memory, typical for his age, that after three months of tests, they showed the results of the 30-40-year-olds".

Scientists say that in order to confirm the results of a major study of the need to warn people not to try to improve memory through increased consumption of the usual chocolate, as the product is from Mars, which they used in experiments, is very different from selling cocoa products.