At first glance, the notion that eating chocolate can make you smarter would seem too good to be true. After all, it’s already well-known that chocolate is a delicious treat, but could it really help to boost your brain power? Research has found that eating certain types of chocolate could indeed provide a range of mental benefits, from improving your mood to enhancing your cognitive performance. Let’s take a closer look at how and why eating chocolate could help to make you smarter.
One of the main active ingredients found in chocolate is flavonoids, which have a range of health benefits and could help to improve cognitive performance. Studies have found that consuming dark chocolate with a higher percentage of cocoa (70 percent or more) can improve cognitive function, reduce stress levels, and increase blood flow to the brain. The flavonoids found in chocolate trigger the production of endorphins, which can help to improve your mood and make you feel more alert.
It’s not just the flavonoids that could help to make you smarter, however. Chocolate also contains a number of other compounds, such as caffeine and theobromine, which can act as stimulants and help to keep you alert and focused. Theobromine, specifically, is believed to help to improve mental clarity and alertness, and could therefore be beneficial for tasks that require a high level of concentration, such as studying.
Chocolate also contains a number of essential vitamins and minerals that can help to provide your brain with the nutrients it needs to function properly. Magnesium, for example, is an important mineral for your brain and can help to improve memory and focus. Similarly, vitamin B6 has been linked to improved cognitive performance, while vitamin E is believed to help to protect your brain from oxidative stress.
Finally, the sugar found in chocolate can also help to boost your brain power. This is because sugar helps to provide your brain with an energy boost, which can help to improve both your memory recall and your ability to think quickly and solve problems.
Overall, research has found that eating certain types of chocolate could have a number of mental benefits. Eating dark chocolate that is high in cocoa content could help to improve your cognitive performance, reduce stress levels, and provide your brain with essential vitamins and minerals. Eating chocolate could also help to provide you with an energy boost, which could be beneficial for tasks that require a high level of concentration. However, it’s important to remember that eating too much chocolate can have a negative effect on your health, so it should always be consumed in moderation.
