AGRIBUSINESS: Cocoa and chocolate are not just treats -- they are good for your cognition.

AGRIBUSINESS: Cocoa and chocolate are not just treats -- they are good for your cognition.Cocoa can be seen as a dietary supplement to protect human cognition and can counteract different types of cognitive decline. Researchers have examined the available literature for the effects of acute and chronic administration of cocoa flavanols on different cognitive domains. It turns out that cognitive performance was improved by a daily intake of cocoa flavanols. A balanced diet is chocolate in both hands -- a phrase commonly used to justify ones chocolate snacking behavior. A phrase now shown to actually harbor some truth, as the cocoa bean is a rich source of flavanols: a class of natural compounds that has neuroprotective effects. In their recent review published in Frontiers in Nutrition, Italian researchers examined the available literature for the effects of acute and chronic administration of cocoa flavanols on different cognitive domains. In other words: what happens to your brain up to a few hours after you eat cocoa flavanols, and what happens when you sustain such a cocoa flavanol enriched diet for a prolonged period of time? AGRIBUSINESS: Cocoa and chocolate are not just treats -- they are good for your cognition.