Older people may benefit from an ancient Mayan beverage with a modern twist. Older people with mild memory problems were randomized to receive a daily cocoa drink. Thirty of them were given cocoa rich in antioxidant flavanols. Another thirty got cocoa with intermediate levels of flavanols, and the remaining thirty got drinks with low levels of flavanols. The volunteers underwent cognitive testing at the beginning of the study and after two months. Those who had drunk high-flavanol cocoa daily improved in their tests of attention and mental skills. This study confirms previous research suggesting that cocoa flavanols are good for the brain.
Mars Botanicals supplied the cocoa drink powder. The company also sells a high-flavanol (250 mg) controlled-calorie (30 cal) drink powder under the name CocoaVia.
[Hypertension, online Aug. 14, 2012; British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, online July 10, 2012]
