{"id":12677,"date":"2020-11-30T20:41:45","date_gmt":"2020-11-30T20:41:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bartalks.net\/?p=12677"},"modified":"2021-08-19T16:43:32","modified_gmt":"2021-08-19T16:43:32","slug":"research-links-cocoa-and-boost-to-brain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bartalks.net\/research-links-cocoa-and-boost-to-brain\/","title":{"rendered":"RESEARCH LINKS COCOA AND BOOST TO BRAIN"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Research conducted by University of Birmingham<\/a>, working with experts at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign<\/a> (Illinois), published in Scientific Reports<\/a><\/em> suggests drinking cocoa increases mental acuity, at least for a time!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cocoa contains flavonals, a sub-group of plant flavonoids and when consumption is increased, can increase mental agility, according to new research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A team of researchers at the University of Birmingham found that people who consumed a cocoa drink which contains high levels of flavonols were able to complete assigned cognitive tasks more efficiently than subjects drinking a non-flavanol enriched drink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The subjects also underwent non-invasive brain imaging to measure blood oxygenation levels in the brain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working with experts at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Illinois), the researchers showed that participants who had consumed the flavanol-rich drink produced a faster and greater increase in blood oxygenation levels in response to artificially elevated levels of CO2<\/sub> (hypercapnia).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lead author, Dr Catarina Rendeiro, of the University of Birmingham\u2019s School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences<\/a>, explains:<\/p>\n\n\n\n