By: Danielle Branch
Source: guardianlv.com
After seeing the
effects on the body and the brain for himself, Daniel Cochece Davis of Illinois
State University reveals that chocolate may boost learning. The lecithin in
chocolate has the ability to make connections between two separate ideas. It is
that familiar “aha” moment of learning that sneaks up on us. He reveals that it
takes at least 30 minutes for the two separate neural pathways to converge into
a neural network, leading to those “lightbulb moments.”
Davis, an assistant professor of communications at Illinois
State University, studied the culinary arts and managed a bed and breakfast
before coming to academia. In his previous experience, he also learned that
caffeine does not help with studying. Caffeine, a stimulant, brings a large
jolt to the system. Chocolate has a stimulant in the form of theobromine, but
it is not as potent as caffeine. Theobromine soothes the body, helping students
maintain their focus. Davis will be exploring this provocative subject in his
research methods class at the university.
This is good news for students who want to improve their
study habits and a boon to senior citizens as well. A Harvard study postulated
that drinking two cups of hot cocoa for 30 days improves blood flow to the
brain, ameliorating both memory and thinking skills in elderly adults with
vascular dementia.
The concept of neurovascular coupling links the brain’s
blood flow with its ability to remember and think. Different areas of the brain
need different amount of blood flow to complete their tasks. Neurovascular
coupling may be the key to unlocking the mystery surrounding cognitive decline.
In the study, 60 participants with an average age of 73,
drank two different kinds of hot cocoa. Half drank a hot beverage high in
flavanols while the other half drank a beverage low in flavanols, an
anti-oxidant that fight free radicals. After a month, participants with
impaired blood flow saw just over an 8 percent improvement. Amazingly, both the
high and low flavanol beverages made a difference. This led research doctors
Paul Rosenberg and Can Ozan Tan to hypothesize that the vascular effects of
chocolate did not come from the anti-oxidant-rich flavanols but from the
polyphenols, epicatechin, and resveratrol, all ingredients in chocolate that
may boost learning.
Ironically, polyphenols are a subset of flavanol. They are
rich in anti-oxidants and may help the body protect itself from disease. They
offer the best protection when used undiluted. The cocoa bean contains the most
prodigious amount of flavanols. You will also find polyphenols in coffee, green
tea and pomegranate juice. Epicatechins are flavonoids found in abundance in grape
skins, tea and coffee. Like polyphenols, flavonoids are a subset of flavanol,
an anti-oxidant with strong anti-inflammatory properties. Resveratrol is also a
polyphenol, previously studied for its ability to relax blood vessels. You will
find resveratrol in peanuts and wine. Health food stores sell resveratrol
supplements for those who do not wish to imbibe.
Recent experiments show that chocolate may boost learning by
improving blood flow to the brain. Chocolate and hot cocoa high in flavanols,
or not, have the added benefit of
protecting the body from disease. Of course, further studies need to be
conducted and no one should begin a health regime without consulting a doctor,
but a square of chocolate or sip of hot cocoa should not hurt.
