Flavanol-rich cocoa products decline Alzheimer's

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The research, supported by confectionary giant Mars, extends previous studies linking consumption of flavanol-rich cocoa products to improved cardiovascular health. Mars has been very active in this research area, supporting numerous studies in the area for more than 15 years. The link between cocoa flavanols and cardiovascular health has been linked to the improving blood flow via increased production of nitric oxide, a molecule used by the endothelium to signal surrounding muscle to relax.

According to two presentations at the AAAS annual meeting, boosting blood flow may also have implications for cognitive function, particularly learning and memory. The results suggest that specialty flavanol-rich cocoa products could be increasingly targeted at the 'baby boomers' (people born between 1946 and 1964), an age-group that forms the biggest age-bracket of the population in both the US and Europe, and who are increasingly aware of potential heart disease and cognitive decline, including Alzheimers, a disease that is expected to quadruple in prevalence by 2047.

"Our study showed that acute consumption of this particular flavanol-rich cocoa beverage was associated with increased blood flow to grey matter for 2 to 3 hours," said Macdonald. "This raises the possibility that certain food components like cocoa flavanols may be beneficial in increasing brain blood flow and enhancing brain function among older adults or for others in situations where they may be cognitively impaired, such as fatigue or sleep deprivation," he said.

Also presented at the session were new results from ongoing research with the Kuna Indians of Panama, a population who consume large amounts of cocoa and who have unusually low rates of hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

The results were welcomed by Harold Schmitz, Mars' chief science officer and organiser of the Neurobiology of Chocolate symposium, who said: "This research is impressive in that multiple laboratories are coming to the same conclusion about this flavanol-rich cocoa, and the findings give us completely new insights into how this flavanol-rich cocoa may impact health in a variety of ways not previously known. "The findings raise the possibility that products utilizing this cocoa could be developed to help maintain healthy brain function throughout several life stages. More research examining the potential of this cocoa in this important area of public health need is clearly warranted."

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