Chocolate may be good for brain health

Go ahead, eat a piece (or two) of chocolate.

It’s good for you.

Really.

Research has found chocolate contains nutrients that may help maintain brain health and prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

Cocoa extract contains large amounts of polyphenols that prevent abnormal accumulation of toxic protein in the brain and are believed to be a natural source to maintain and promote brain health, according to new recommendations to be published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

"Successful translational studies of cocoa extracts in clinical settings will require coordinated research efforts bridging together development of new sources of cocoa extract, improved standardized methodologies for quantitative detection of polyphenols from cocoa preparations, and investigations on the effect of cocoa processing and the biological availability and biological activities of cocoa polyphenols," according to the recommendations. 

Lead author Giulio Maria Pasinetti, MD, PhD, Saunders Family Chair and Professor of neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Director of Biomedical Training at J.J. Peters Bronx VA Medical Center, calls for collaboration among cocoa producers, wholesalers and the biomedical community.

Read more about the recommendations here.

Nicole Stempak

Nicole was Senior Editor at I Advance Senior Care and Long Term Living Magazine 2015-2017. She has a Journalism degree from Kent State University and is finalizing a master’s degree in Information Architecture and Management. She has extensive studies in the digital user experience and in branding online media. She has worked as an editor and writer for various B2B publications, including Business Finance.