Chocolate's Brain Boost

                 Of all the tips and tricks to boost your cognitive skills, this quick fix may be the best one yet:  eating chocolate!

                We can thank researchers at the University of Nottingham for bringing this biohack to our attention.  Right when you need it the most, a key ingredient in chocolate boosts blood flow to areas of the brain that can lift your cognitive power for up to three hours.

                The flavanols in cocoa dilate blood vessels in the brain, bringing uplifting oxygen to brain tissue.   This boosts the flow of gray matter in the areas of the brain that influence cognition and can make a big difference when the brain is fatigued.

                To illustrate chocolate’s potential for enhancing brain power, the study focused on having participants drink a cocoa beverage and then followed the patterns on their MRI scans for three hours afterward.  This single drink was enough to make a significant difference in cognition!

                Cocoa is a flavanol which can be found in chocolate, so you’ll want to make sure you find a chocolate that has a high cocoa content.  Flavanols have been studied for brain enhancement in some of its other forms like blueberries, green tea, and some types of wine.

                Chocolate has been a favorite nootropic since, well, probably the first time it was discovered!  Though this study only focused on the flavanol potential of cocoa, we know that it’s loaded with nootropic power because of Theobromine, one of its ingredients.  For a cognitive power boost that combines Theobromine extracted from cocoa, caffeine, and L-Theanine, our 1-2-GO is a natural blend that enhances focus and concentration.

                If you find yourself without our most popular pick-me-up, try reaching for that chocolate when you’ve got to perform your best!

Further Reading

http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/

Photo by Tetiana Bykovets on Unsplash