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Update Date: 2009/04/07 11:35
Many people love eating chocolate, believing it can bring a sense of happiness. Now, British researchers have found another reason to enjoy chocolate: the "flavanols" it contains can help enhance brain calculation abilities.
According to a report by China News Network, Professor Kennedy, director of the Brain Performance and Nutrition Research Centre at Northumbria University in the UK, and his colleagues conducted an experiment with 30 volunteers, asking them to perform a backward counting test. The results showed that after consuming a cocoa drink containing 500 milligrams of flavanols, their counting speed and accuracy significantly improved. Moreover, compared to before drinking the cocoa beverage, even after continuously counting backward for an hour, their fatigue levels were noticeably reduced.
Kennedy stated that the flavanols rich in chocolate can increase blood flow to the brain, which may be particularly helpful for difficult tasks that require mental effort. He also mentioned that substantial evidence suggests moderate doses of flavanols can prevent cognitive decline, and the more flavanol-rich vegetables and fruits one consumes, the greater the benefits for the brain.
Researchers recommend regularly eating chocolate, apples, and grapes, or drinking wine, tea, and cocoa beverages to supplement flavanols. Among these, dark chocolate contains higher levels of flavanols compared to regular chocolate.
Source: http://tw. news. yahoo. com/ article/ url/ d/ a/ 090407/ 1/ 1he8q. html
UK Study: Chocolate Boosts Brain Calculation Power
Many people love eating chocolate, believing it can bring a sense of happiness. Now, British researchers have found another reason to enjoy chocolate: the "flavanols" it contains can help enhance brain calculation abilities.
According to a report by China News Network, Professor Kennedy, director of the Brain Performance and Nutrition Research Centre at Northumbria University in the UK, and his colleagues conducted an experiment with 30 volunteers, asking them to perform a backward counting test. The results showed that after consuming a cocoa drink containing 500 milligrams of flavanols, their counting speed and accuracy significantly improved. Moreover, compared to before drinking the cocoa beverage, even after continuously counting backward for an hour, their fatigue levels were noticeably reduced.
Kennedy stated that the flavanols rich in chocolate can increase blood flow to the brain, which may be particularly helpful for difficult tasks that require mental effort. He also mentioned that substantial evidence suggests moderate doses of flavanols can prevent cognitive decline, and the more flavanol-rich vegetables and fruits one consumes, the greater the benefits for the brain.
Researchers recommend regularly eating chocolate, apples, and grapes, or drinking wine, tea, and cocoa beverages to supplement flavanols. Among these, dark chocolate contains higher levels of flavanols compared to regular chocolate.
Source: http://tw. news. yahoo. com/ article/ url/ d/ a/ 090407/ 1/ 1he8q. html