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Health
In addition to being terribly delicious, chocolate is said to be beneficial for our brains.
Here’s a great excuse to eat guilt-free chocolate! According to an English study, published two days ago in Scientific reports, chocolate would help to be “smarter”. More precisely, a family of organic molecules present in cocoa improves brain oxygenation and our cognitive alertness, precise Futura Sciences.
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Although the cocoa bean turns into chocolate, the latter does not lose its benefits. Polyphenols, known for their antioxidant powers, remain present in large quantities in chocolate. To test the benefits of flavanols, scientists prepared two cocoa-based drinks: one rich in flavanols and another less rich. Both the drinks and the placebos were given to the men, without them knowing which drink they were drinking.
Better oxygenation and a sharper brain
Two hours later, the scientists looked at their brain oxygenation and cognitive abilities. As for brain oxygenation, participants who drank a flavanol-enriched beverage achieve maximum oxygenation of their brain much more quickly. During one breathing exercise, it took only three minutes to reach 90% maximum oxygen, compared to over four minutes for the other group.
To test their cognitive abilities, participants performed the “double stroop” test where they had to click on the word written in the correct color (for example, choosing the word “red” written in red, as opposed to the word “blue”. in green). The result is also clear: Participants who drank a flavanol-enriched drink respond much faster to the test and make fewer mistakes.
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These two experiments show that the flavanols present in cocoa greatly improve the oxygenation of our brain, but also our cognitive abilities. Other flavanol-rich foods (such as grapes, berries, or apples) should have the same benefits, the researchers say.
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