They say fish is good brain food but now researchers have found that chocolate can make people better at maths.
A group of 30 volunteers at Northumbria University were given a large quantity of flavanols – the compounds found in chocolate – and performed better in mental arithmetic tests as a result.
Presented at the British Psychological Society show in Brighton, the findings showed that after being supplied with a hot chocolate drink, the subjects could do calculations more quickly and more accurately.
Researchers also said that chocolate can make people feel more alert or less mentally drained – especially dark chocolate, as it contains more compounds than milk or white.
Flavanols work their magic by increasing the flow of blood into the brain. Part of a group of chemicals called polyphenols, these compounds are also found in fruit and vegetables.
Despite a larger than normal amount (500mg) being given to the volunteers, Prof David Kennedy, director of the brain, performance and nutrition research centre at Northumbria University, said that eating them regularly can still have the desired effect.
"The amount that you are giving is more than in the diet but there is quite a lot of evidence that general amounts are protective against declining function and that kind of thing,” he said.
"The more fruit and vegetables and things that are high in polyphenols the better that is for your brain in the long run."
Suppose we've now got a good excuse for eating so much of the stuff girls!
FemaleFirst: Fiona Haran
Tagged in chocolate