A recent study has determined that eating chocolate regularly can improve cognitive function, The Telegraph reports. The survey was originally published in the journal Appetite but “irrespective of other dietary habits.” Researchers analyzed data culled from a former study measuring dietary intake and cardiovascular risks on residents of Syracuse, New York. Test subjects were also given a series of tests to track brain functioning.
“More frequent chocolate consumption was significantly associated with better performance on [tests inluding] Visual-Spatial Memory and Organization, Working Memory, Scanning and Tracking, Abstract Reasoning, and the Mini-Mental State Examination,” scientists said. “With the exception of Working Memory, these relations were not attenuated with statistical control for cardiovascular, lifestyle and dietary factors.”
Researchers also indicated that consistent chocolate intake could protect one from brain degeneration and that chocolate has historically been sourced to reduce fever, treat childhood diarrhea, encourage sleep, clean teeth, and promote sexual stimulus. Scientifically, other contemporary studies reveal that chocolate also benefits cardiovascular performance, reduces cholesterol, and protects the skin from ultraviolet rays.
In one other related study, analysts also suggest that it could help with weight loss. Neuroscientist Will Clower adds that a small square of chocolate melted on the tongue 20 minutes before eating triggers the same hormones that tell the body it’s full, thus reducing the amount of consumed calories. And eaten as a desert could quell subsequent snacking binges.
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