Drinking hot chocolate boosts memory in older people, study finds
FotoliaWhile the marshmallows may not be an especially healthy addition to hot chocolate, the beverage itself was shown to help boost blood flow in the brain, and thus memory and cognitive function, in older adults in a recent study.
Don’t forget to pick up cocoa on that next grocery shopping trip — a couple cups a day may improve memory in older people, a new study suggests.
The findings, published this month in the journal Neurology, involved 60 people around the age of 73 who drank two cups of the beverage a day over a period of 30 days. The focus of the research was on investigating ways improve blood flow to the brain. Participants without memory issues did not see a change. But those with cognitive deterioration saw an 8.3% change in their blood flow, discovered by an ultrasound, which translated to improvements in memory. One-third of participants had prior memory issues, and after drinking hot chocolate, their memory and thinking tests showed positive changes. Scores of working memory improved from a time of 167 to 116 seconds.
Memory declines much slower in people who read, write throughout life: U.S. studyReading books, writing letters and working on crossword puzzles throughout life may help preserve the brain’s memory faculties and fend off Alzheimer’s disease and early-onset dementia, according to a recent U.S. study published in the the journal Neurology.
Researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago found that people who participated in brain stimulating activities had a slower rate of decline in memory compared to those who did not participate in such activities.
Dr. Robert Wilson, the lead author of the study, said we shouldn’t underestimate everyday activities and their ability to have a positive effect on brain physiology.
Read more…
It is unclear what role the antioxidant flavanol may have played here: half of participants were given hot cocoa with flavanol and the other half were given cocoa without it. This did not change anything in the study’s results.
“There is a strong correlation between neurovascular coupling and cognitive function, and both can be improved by regular cocoa consumption,” the study’s authors wrote. Neurovascular coupling refers to brain activity and corresponding changes in blood flow.
Previous research on the health benefits of chocolate have focused on dark chocolate only, such as this 2012 study that found that consuming the sweet daily can help prevent heart disease because it lowers both cholesterol and blood pressure.
Besides dietary strategies, researchers have also been presenting evidence of late that fitness can have profound effects on cognitive health and delaying decline.
In a recent study published in The Journal of Aging Research, it was discovered that exercise can help improve the memory of older people. Researchers at the University of British Columbia tested several women between the ages of 70 and 80 who were having trouble with their memory. After weight training, participants saw an improvement in being able to remember things in context such as the names of people they met recently, called associative memory. Spatial memory, such as recalling where things are located, also improved.
FotoliaWhile the marshmallows may not be an especially healthy addition to hot chocolate, the beverage itself was shown to help boost blood flow in the brain, and thus memory and cognitive function, in older adults in a recent study.
Don’t forget to pick up cocoa on that next grocery shopping trip — a couple cups a day may improve memory in older people, a new study suggests.
The findings, published this month in the journal Neurology, involved 60 people around the age of 73 who drank two cups of the beverage a day over a period of 30 days. The focus of the research was on investigating ways improve blood flow to the brain. Participants without memory issues did not see a change. But those with cognitive deterioration saw an 8.3% change in their blood flow, discovered by an ultrasound, which translated to improvements in memory. One-third of participants had prior memory issues, and after drinking hot chocolate, their memory and thinking tests showed positive changes. Scores of working memory improved from a time of 167 to 116 seconds.
Memory declines much slower in people who read, write throughout life: U.S. studyReading books, writing letters and working on crossword puzzles throughout life may help preserve the brain’s memory faculties and fend off Alzheimer’s disease and early-onset dementia, according to a recent U.S. study published in the the journal Neurology.
Researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago found that people who participated in brain stimulating activities had a slower rate of decline in memory compared to those who did not participate in such activities.
Dr. Robert Wilson, the lead author of the study, said we shouldn’t underestimate everyday activities and their ability to have a positive effect on brain physiology.
Read more…
It is unclear what role the antioxidant flavanol may have played here: half of participants were given hot cocoa with flavanol and the other half were given cocoa without it. This did not change anything in the study’s results.
“There is a strong correlation between neurovascular coupling and cognitive function, and both can be improved by regular cocoa consumption,” the study’s authors wrote. Neurovascular coupling refers to brain activity and corresponding changes in blood flow.
Previous research on the health benefits of chocolate have focused on dark chocolate only, such as this 2012 study that found that consuming the sweet daily can help prevent heart disease because it lowers both cholesterol and blood pressure.
Besides dietary strategies, researchers have also been presenting evidence of late that fitness can have profound effects on cognitive health and delaying decline.
In a recent study published in The Journal of Aging Research, it was discovered that exercise can help improve the memory of older people. Researchers at the University of British Columbia tested several women between the ages of 70 and 80 who were having trouble with their memory. After weight training, participants saw an improvement in being able to remember things in context such as the names of people they met recently, called associative memory. Spatial memory, such as recalling where things are located, also improved.