Oct
2017
Consumption of cocoa flavanols results in acute improvements in mood and cognitive performance during sustained mental effort.
Journal of Psychopharmacology
Cocoa flavanols (CF) positively influence physiological processes in ways that suggest their consumption may improve aspects of cognitive function. This study investigated the acute cognitive and subjective effects of CF consumption during sustained mental demand. In this randomized, controlled, double-blinded, balanced, three period crossover trial 30 healthy adults consumed drinks containing 520 mg, 994 mg… Read more »
Sep
2017
Eating chocolate can significantly protect the skin from UV light.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology
BACKGROUND: Cocoa beans fresh from the tree are exceptionally rich in flavanols. Unfortunately, during conventional chocolate making, this high antioxidant capacity is greatly reduced due to manufacturing processes. AIM: To evaluate the photoprotective potential of chocolate consumption, comparing a conventional dark chocolate to a specially produced chocolate with preserved high flavanol (HF) levels. METHODS: A… Read more »
Jun
2017
Flavonoid intake and cognitive decline over a 10-year period.
American Journal of Epidemiology
In the PAQUID (Personnes Agées Quid) study, the authors prospectively examined flavonoid intake in relation to cognitive function and decline among subjects aged 65 years or older. A total of 1,640 subjects free from dementia at baseline in 1990 and with reliable dietary assessment were reexamined four times over a 10-year period. Cognitive functioning was… Read more »
Jan
2016
Cocoa Flavanol Supplementation Influences Skin Conditions of Photo-Aged Women: A 24-Week Double-Blind, Randomized, Controlled Trial.
Journal of Nutrition
BACKGROUND: The consumption of dietary antioxidants is considered to be a good strategy against photo-aging. However, the results of previous clinical trials that investigated the effects of oral consumption of high-flavanol cocoa products on skin photo-aging have been contradictory. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate whether high-flavanol cocoa supplementation would improve the… Read more »
Dec
2015
Dark chocolate supplementation reduces the oxygen cost of moderate intensity cycling.
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
BACKGROUND: Dark chocolate (DC) is abundant in flavanols which have been reported to increase the bioavailability and bioactivity of nitric oxide (NO). Increasing NO bioavailability has often demonstrated reduced oxygen cost and performance enhancement during submaximal exercise. METHODS: Nine moderately-trained male participants volunteered to undertake baseline (BL) measurements that comprised a cycle V̇O(2max) test followed… Read more »
Oct
2015
Cocoa flavanol intake improves endothelial function and Framingham Risk Score in healthy men and women: a randomised, controlled, double-masked trial: the Flaviola Health Study.
British Journal of Nutrition
Cocoa flavanol (CF) intake improves endothelial function in patients with cardiovascular risk factors and disease. We investigated the effects of CF on surrogate markers of cardiovascular health in low risk, healthy, middle-aged individuals without history, signs or symptoms of CVD. In a 1-month, open-label, one-armed pilot study, bi-daily ingestion of 450 mg of CF led… Read more »
Jun
2015
Impact of cocoa flavanol intake on age-dependent vascular stiffness in healthy men: a randomized, controlled, double-masked trial.
Age
Increased vascular stiffness, endothelial dysfunction, and isolated systolic hypertension are hallmarks of vascular aging. Regular cocoa flavanol (CF) intake can improve vascular function in healthy young and elderly at-risk individuals. However, the mechanisms underlying CF bioactivity remain largely unknown. We investigated the effects of CF intake on cardiovascular function in healthy young and elderly individuals… Read more »
Mar
2015
Cocoa flavanol consumption improves cognitive function, blood pressure control, and metabolic profile in elderly subjects: the Cocoa, Cognition, and Aging (CoCoA) Study–a randomized controlled trial.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
BACKGROUND: Recent evidence has indicated that flavanol consumption may have many health benefits in humans, including improved cognitive activities. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to evaluate the effect of flavanol consumption on cognitive performance in cognitively intact elderly subjects. DESIGN: This was a double-blind, controlled, parallel-arm study conducted in 90 elderly individuals without clinical evidence of… Read more »
Mar
2015
Cocoa flavanol consumption improves cognitive function, blood pressure control, and metabolic profile in elderly subjects: the Cocoa, Cognition, and Aging (CoCoA) Study–a randomized controlled trial.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
BACKGROUND: Recent evidence has indicated that flavanol consumption may have many health benefits in humans, including improved cognitive activities. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to evaluate the effect of flavanol consumption on cognitive performance in cognitively intact elderly subjects. DESIGN: This was a double-blind, controlled, parallel-arm study conducted in 90 elderly individuals without clinical evidence of… Read more »
Dec
2014
Enhancing dentate gyrus function with dietary flavanols improves cognition in older adults.
Nature Neuroscience
The dentate gyrus (DG) is a region in the hippocampal formation whose function declines in association with human aging and is therefore considered to be a possible source of age-related memory decline. Causal evidence is needed, however, to show that DG-associated memory decline in otherwise healthy elders can be improved by interventions that enhance DG… Read more »