Cocoa and nuts, good for the brain and health

Eat well to be healthy. Flavanols and cocoa fruit fall into the category of foods that are good for our health. The first is good for our brain as it participates in its good oxygenation and increases cognition in adults. Eating nuts contributes to better health and leads to eating better foods.

Flavanols, good for cerebrovascular function

Flavanols are small molecules found in many fruits and vegetables as well as in cocoa that protect them from oxidation and aggressive sunlight, and help give flavor to these foods. By consuming cocoa flavanols, researchers from the United Kingdom and the United States who conducted the November 24 study reported Scientific reports, allows our brains to recover faster after a vascular accident and to perform better on complex tests. “Previous studies have shown that consuming foods rich in flavanols can benefit vascular function, but this is the first to find a positive effect on cerebrovascular function and cognitive performance in healthy young adults.“, Welcomed Catarina Rendeiro, who led the research.

In the study, 14 of the 18 participants saw improvement after ingesting the flavanols. The tests went through two trials, one in which they received cocoa rich in flavanols and another in which they consumed processed cocoa with very low levels of flavanols. About two hours after consuming the cocoa, the participants breathed in air containing 5% carbon dioxide, about 100 times the normal concentration in the air. “This is a standard method of challenging the cerebrovascular system to determine how well it is responding”Explained Gabriele Gratton, co-author of the study.

Better cognitive performance thanks to flavanols

Most participants (14 out of 18) had a stronger and faster brain oxygenation response after exposure to cocoa flavanols. “Maximum oxygenation levels were more than three times higher in high flavanol cocoa than in low flavanol cocoa, and the oxygenation response was approximately one minute faster.“Catarina Rendeiro noted. The researchers also challenged the participants with complex tasks that required them to handle sometimes contradictory or competing demands. After ingesting the cocoa flavanols, the participants performed better on more difficult cognitive tests, solving correctly problems 11% faster than they did initially or by consuming cocoa with flavanols. reduced.

“Although most people have benefited from taking flavanol, there is a small group who have not.“Explained Catarina Rendeiro. Four of the 18 subjects in the study had no significant differences in brain oxygenation response after consuming flavanols and test performance did not improve.”Since these four participants already have higher oxygenation responses to begin with, this could indicate that those who are already fit have little room for improvement., the esteem Catarina Rendeiro. Overall, the results suggest that improvements in vascular activity after exposure to flavanols are linked to improvements in cognitive function.. “

Dried fruit, a credible alternative to fruit

In addition to flavanols, nuts are also associated with improved health. Researchers from Pennsylvania State University, who presented their work on Oct. 28 at Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, found that nuts consumers are generally healthier than those who don’t eat them and that this causes these people to eat better. “Dried fruit can be a great choice for a nutritious snack, but consumers may want to be sure to choose unsweetened versions with no added sugar.says Valerie Sullivan, author of the study. Dried fruit can help people potentially consume more fruit because it is portable, shelf stable, and can also be cheaper.. ”

Researchers investigated whether dried fruit can be a healthy alternative to fresh fruit and its multiple benefits for our body. The research team used data from 25,590 participants in a national health and nutrition survey. These participants provided data on all foods they ate in the past 24 hours, including nuts. Data on the volunteers’ cardiometabolic health – such as body mass index, waist circumference and blood pressure – and the quality of their overall diet were also collected.

Pay attention to calories

On average, people who claimed to consume nuts followed a healthier diet than those who did not. They also tend to have lower body mass index, waist circumference, and systolic blood pressure. “What I found interesting is that people tend to eat more fruit in total on days when they also eat nuts.“, A remarked Valerie Sullivan. On the days when nuts were not consumed, however, the consumption of fresh fruit was not greater. Dried fruit could therefore be a way to increase overall fruit consumption in people who don’t eat the recommended amounts.. “

However, the researchers found that people consumed more total calories on the days they ate nuts. “In our study, people who ate dried fruit had a higher calorie intake but lower BMI and waist circumference, suggesting they were more physically active., analyzed Penny Kris-Etherton, author of the study. So when incorporating nuts, pay attention to the calories and be sure to replace the calories of nutrient-poor foods with nuts to get the most out of your dried fruit consumption.. “