It has to be noted though, that the effects depended on the age of the person and the length and complexity of the cognitive tests used to measure the effect of cocoa consumption. In young and healthy adults, for example, a more demanding cognitive test was required to reveal subtle immediate behavioural effects that cocoa flavanols have on this group.
For women, eating cocoa after a night of total sleep deprivation actually counteracted the cognitive impairment (i.e. less accuracy in performing tasks) that such a night brings about. Promising results for people that suffer from chronic sleep deprivation or work shifts.
The analysis published in Frontiers in Nutrition showed that directly after consuming cocoa flavonols participants showed, among others, enhancements in working memory performance and improved visual information processing.
Specifically they were looking for what happens to your brain in the few hours after you eat cocoa flavanols, and what happens when your intake of cocoa flavanols is sustained over a longer period of time?
The cocoa bean is a rich source of flavanols: a class of natural compounds that has antioxidant and neuroprotective effects. In a recent review Italian researchers examined the available literature for the effects of cocoa flavanols on different types of cognition.
