Scientists found that a cocoa extract supplement containing 500 mg of flavanols improved mental performance in older adults with unhealthy diets. The study was published on: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN).
573 elderly people participated in the two-year experiment. Some took cocoa extract daily, while the rest took a placebo, a medicine containing no active ingredient. During the observation period, patients completed offline tests several times to assess mental functioning.
Compared with placebo, daily cocoa extract supplementation had no overall benefit for general or specific mental function. However, a more detailed analysis showed that cocoa extract supplements were beneficial for participants with poor nutritional quality. Seniors who were already on a healthy diet at the beginning of the study did not see any benefit from the supplements.
The study’s findings are consistent with those of an earlier experiment that used online tests to assess mental ability.
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