Reports of cacao’s effect on energy and happiness have been observed for hundreds of years. Only recently, however, have the benefits of cocoa flavanols on mood received validation in controlled scientific studies. Below are publication summaries of clinical studies assessing the impact of cocoa flavanols on mood:
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 »
May
2013
Cocoa polyphenols enhance positive mood states but not cognitive performance: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.
Journal of Psychopharmacology
This study aimed to examine the acute and sub-chronic effects of cocoa polyphenols on cognition and mood. In a randomized, double-blind study, healthy middle-aged participants received a dark chocolate drink mix standardized to contain 500 mg, 250 mg or 0 mg of polyphenols (placebo) in a parallel-groups design. Participants consumed their assigned treatment once daily… Read more »
Nov
2010
High cocoa polyphenol rich chocolate may reduce the burden of the symptoms in chronic fatigue syndrome.
Nutrition Journal
BACKGROUND: Chocolate is rich in flavonoids that have been shown to be of benefit in disparate conditions including cardiovascular disease and cancer. The effect of polyphenol rich chocolate in subjects with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) has not been studied previously. METHODS: We conducted a double blinded, randomised, clinical pilot crossover study comparing high cocoa liquor/polyphenol… Read more »