Eating chocolate could make the mind more alert and develop cognitive skills in the short term, experts in metabolic physiology at the University of Nottingham have found.

A study by Professor Ian Macdonald shows that drinking a cocoa drink rich in flavonoids, the key ingredient in dark chocolate, stimulates blood flow to key areas of the brain for two to three hours. The stimulated blood flow in these areas of the brain increases performance on specific tasks and enhances general alertness for a short period of time.

The findings, unveiled at one of the largest international scientific conferences in the U.S. (the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)) also open up new possibilities for using the ingredients in chocolate to treat vascular events, including dementia and stroke, and to maintain good cardiovascular health.

The study also suggests that the cocoa flavonoids in chocolate may be useful in stimulating brain function in people suffering from chronic fatigue, sleep deprivation, or even in combating the effects of aging.

Ian Macdonald, Professor of Metabolic Physiology at the University of Nottingham, used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect increased activity in specific areas of the brain in individuals who consumed a simple flavonoid-rich cocoa drink.

The effect is related to the dilation of cerebral blood vessels, allowing more blood and therefore more oxygen to reach the major areas of the brain.

Flavanoids are not only found in dark chocolate which has a high percentage of cocoa. They are also found in other substances such as green tea, red wine and blueberries.

This is information that will not be forgotten!