Want to ward off dementia later in life? Chocolate may be the answer.
Consuming just two cups of hot chocolate a day may help elderly adults who are experiencing impaired blood flow to have healthier brains and improved thinking skills, new research claims.
The research, published by the American Academy of Neurology, looked at the effect of cocoa consumption on cognition and neurovascular coupling, the link between nerve cell activity and blood flow to the brain.
“We’re learning more about blood flow in the brain and its effect on thinking skills,” said study author Dr. Farzaneh A. Sorond, of Harvard Medical School. “As different areas of the brain need more energy to complete their tasks, they also need greater blood flow. This relationship, called neurovascular coupling, may play an important role in diseases such as Alzheimer’s.”
When blood flow and neuron activity are not in sync with one another, neurons cannot function properly, leading to a decline in cognition and motor function. This is seen in patients with Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, and early cognitive dysfunction, Fox news informs.
