03.14.12
New research involving chocolate/cocoa powder from Barry Callebaut indicates regular consumption of high-flavanol chocolate can promote brain performance. For this independent study by Professor Andrew Scholey and Con Stough from the Center for Human Psychopharmacology at Swinburne University in Australia, 63 individuals between the ages of 40 and 65 were observed in a randomized, controlled, double-blind study over a sample period of 30 days. They were divided into three test groups and consumed a prescribed drink daily. The composition of the chocolate drink varied with regard to the proportion of cocoa flavanols they each contained.
Subjects consumed either a cocoa drink that contained 10 grams of dark high flavanol chocolate (corresponds to 500 mg cocoa flavanols), a drink with 10 grams of conventional dark chocolate (corresponds to 250 mg of cocoa flavanols) or, for a control group, 10 grams of dark chocolate that contained hardly any cocoa flavanols. During the sample period the test subjects were not allowed to consume products containing caffeine, flavonoid-rich fruits or an excess of alcohol so as not to influence the results of the study.
As the basis for the experiment, the Steady State Visually-Evoked Potential method (SSVEP) was used to measure human brain activity. In order to compare brain activities, on the first and on the 30th day computer-tomography (CT) brain scans of the test subjects were made while participants solved tasks dealing with spatial working memory. Spatial working memory describes the ability to remember, for instance, the location where an object appeared and also to recall a series of earlier locations of other objects.
The results of the study show that the brains of individuals who consumed the cocoa drink with a medium or a high proportion of cocoa flavanols were less strained than those in the control group without cocoa flavanols. Differences in the accuracy or the reaction times of the test subjects in solving the task were not ascertained between the various groups. This means that Barry Callebaut's ACTICOA chocolate lowered stress levels in the brain after consumption and allowed the test subjects to achieve the same performance with lower resource usage. For further information: www.barry-callebaut.com
Subjects consumed either a cocoa drink that contained 10 grams of dark high flavanol chocolate (corresponds to 500 mg cocoa flavanols), a drink with 10 grams of conventional dark chocolate (corresponds to 250 mg of cocoa flavanols) or, for a control group, 10 grams of dark chocolate that contained hardly any cocoa flavanols. During the sample period the test subjects were not allowed to consume products containing caffeine, flavonoid-rich fruits or an excess of alcohol so as not to influence the results of the study.
As the basis for the experiment, the Steady State Visually-Evoked Potential method (SSVEP) was used to measure human brain activity. In order to compare brain activities, on the first and on the 30th day computer-tomography (CT) brain scans of the test subjects were made while participants solved tasks dealing with spatial working memory. Spatial working memory describes the ability to remember, for instance, the location where an object appeared and also to recall a series of earlier locations of other objects.
The results of the study show that the brains of individuals who consumed the cocoa drink with a medium or a high proportion of cocoa flavanols were less strained than those in the control group without cocoa flavanols. Differences in the accuracy or the reaction times of the test subjects in solving the task were not ascertained between the various groups. This means that Barry Callebaut's ACTICOA chocolate lowered stress levels in the brain after consumption and allowed the test subjects to achieve the same performance with lower resource usage. For further information: www.barry-callebaut.com