We’ve written a lot about the power of flavanols (also spelled flavonols), a group of phytochemicals found in plant pigments. You can get flavanols from fruits (especially berries) and vegetables as well as certain beverages like tea and wine, and surprisingly, cocoa.
Studies have shown that a diet rich in flavanols is great for your circulatory health. Flavanols can help lower your blood pressure, prevent calcified arteries and improve blood vessel function.
The flavanols in cocoa have been found to have all these heart- and brain-protecting effects. Specifically, cocoa flavanols have been found to help increase blood flow and oxygen to the brain.
But while some studies have shown cocoa extract has the potential to protect cognition, randomized clinical trials in older adults have had mixed results. And now we know why…
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Who gets a brain boost from cocoa?
The Cocoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) is a large-scale, long-term clinical trial led by Brigham and Women’s Hospital. This randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study — the gold standard of research — has enrolled more than 21,000 older women and men across the United States.
The participants are being tested to see whether taking daily supplements of a cocoa extract or a common multivitamin reduces the risk of developing heart disease, stroke, cancer and other conditions. Analyses of COSMOS data continue to give insights about the links between supplements and human health.
A select group of 573 older adults was chosen by a team of U.S. researchers to see if cocoa extract had any impact on cognition.
The participants took daily cocoa extract supplements containing 500 mg of cocoa flavanols for two years. They then completed detailed in-person neuropsychological assessments over those two years.
The results from the assessments weren’t encouraging — at first…
They showed that daily cocoa extract supplementation had no overall benefits for global or domain-specific cognitive function when compared to placebo.
However, when the researchers conducted secondary analyses, they showed that participants who ate a poor diet did have cognitive benefits from taking the cocoa extract supplement.
There was no impact for people who had a healthy diet at the start of the study, who, if I dared to guess, may have been getting their quota of brain-boosting flavanols from other food sources.
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The right kind of cocoa
So, if we want to boost our cognitive powers, we should start eating lots of chocolate, right?
Not so fast….
Turns out that when cocoa is processed the Dutch way, it lowers the flavanol content. And as you may have guessed, most of the cocoa powder and other chocolate products on the market are processed this way.
If you are going to harness the full benefits of cocoa flavanols, you’re better off taking a cocoa flavanol supplement rather than highly processed cocoa powders. Or you could try raw cacao powder, which is processed in a way that preserves the flavanols and other nutrients present in the cacao bean.
One thing to keep in mind about raw cacao — it may contain higher levels of the heavy metals lead and cadmium than other chocolate products. Therefore, you may want to keep your consumption down to once a day at most.
Also, like the folks at the start of the study who were following a healthy diet, it’s a good idea to get flavanols from a variety of healthy foods. If you add more fruits and vegetables, especially leafy vegetables, apples, berries and grapes to your regular diet, you’ll be well on your way.
Already doing all that? Good for you. But if you still find your brain could use a little support, check out this post by my colleague Joyce Hollman on phosphatidylserine — an essential building block for a healthy functioning brain.
Sources:
Cocoa extract supplement found to have benefits for cognition among older adults with lower diet quality — EurekAlert!
The Cardiovascular Effects of Cocoa Polyphenols—An Overview — Diseases
Dietary flavanols restore hippocampal-dependent memory in older adults with lower diet quality and lower habitual flavanol consumption — PNAS