Cup of cocoa a day keeps memory loss away – scientists

Published time: October 27, 2014 09:39

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Reuters / Samsul Said

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Biology, Health, Science, USA

A tasty drink may give a typical 60-year-old the memory as of a person 20 to 30 years younger. A US study has revealed that cocoa contains bioactive ingredients that reverse age-related memory decline.
Scientists at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) published the results of a dietary experiment, based on the effects of flavanols, extracted from cocoa beans, on the aging human brain in the journal Nature Neuroscience on Sunday.
A group of 37 healthy volunteers aged from 50 to 69 was randomly divided in two. Each day for three months, they had a specially-prepared cocoa drink, which is not available commercially. One group consumed the drink with 900mg of flavanols, and the other with only 10mg of these compounds.
"If a participant had the memory of a typical 60-year-old at the beginning of the study, after three months that person on average had the memory of a typical 30- or 40-year-old," said senior author Scott Small in a press-release.

The brain area outlined in yellow is the hippocampus; the dentate gyrus is shown in green and the entorhinal cortex in purple. (Image from the press-release)

The core goal of the experiment was to study the brain’s dentate gyrus – a part of the hippocampal formation which is responsible for memory formation, and is age-sensitive. So the scientists had to carry out brain imaging to measure its blood volume and prove whether it is a source of typical forgetfulness widespread among the elderly.
"I suppose that our study does show, for the first time, that flavanols improves the function of humans' dentate gyrus, particularly in ageing humans," Small told AFP.
To demonstrate the difference before and after the experiment, the participants had to pass special memory tests – a 20-minute pattern-recognition exercise, specifically addressing the dentate gyrus. Faster and clearer recognition among the high-flavanol group was backed by their better blood volume tests.
"When we imaged our research subjects' brains, we found noticeable improvements in the function of the dentate gyrus in those who consumed the high-cocoa-flavanol drink," said lead author Adam M. Brickman, PhD, of the Taub Institute in a press release.

Most methods of processing cocoa remove many of the flavanols found in the raw plant (Image from the press-release)

However, the results should be verified in a study of a bigger group, and they don’t apply to the disease-associated memory loss, such as Alzheimer caused. Scientists also warn that it doesn’t mean the need of increase in chocolate consumption – and most of the antioxidants cocoa contains are lost during the processing.
"Very simply, the amount of flavanols that are found in chocolate is minuscule compared to the very high amount of extracted flavanols that our subjects consumed. The same is true for most other foods or teas," Small wrote.
The research was supported by a large US food corporation, which took the responsibility for extracting and preparing the drink in such a way so that it is not lost from the raw plant.
Apart from cocoa and chocolate, flavanols are abundant in some teas, vegetables and fruit – such as grapes, apples or blueberries, but their types vary widely. They are also believed to improve cardiovascular health – to prevent heart attacks and strokes.
Cognitive neuropsychologist Dr. Ashok Jansari told the Independent: “Given a globally ageing population, by isolating a particular area of the brain that is weakening in functioning as we grow older, and demonstrating that a non-pharmacological intervention can improve learning of new information, the authors have made a significant contribution to helping us improve our cognitive health.”