A cup of cocoa a day may reduce risk of dementia

According to statistical analysis, the top three most consumed beverages in the world are tea, coffee, and cocoa. The annual global consumption of cocoa beans alone exceeds 600,000 metric tons. Not only is it delicious, it is also extremely nutritious. Past studies have pointed out that cocoa has the advantages of promoting cardiovascular health, improving thinking ability and vision, etc. According to the British Daily Mail, drinking a cup of cocoa a day can also effectively reduce the risk of mild cognitive impairment in the elderly. Mild cognitive impairment is a symptom related to memory loss that can develop into dementia or Alzheimer's disease.

Italian research shows that drinking cocoa every day can effectively reduce mild cognitive impairment and prevent the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease. (Photo/Taken from the British Daily Mail)

In the study, a research team from the University of L'Aquila in Italy divided 90 patients over 70 years old with mild cognitive impairment into three groups. The groups drank high, medium, and low amounts of cocoa, and were prohibited from consuming other beverages containing flavonoids, such as tea and red wine.

Results showed that during the 8-week experiment, the two groups of subjects who drank moderate and high amounts of alcohol performed significantly better than the low-dose group on a number of mental tests based on memory and brain processing speed, and their insulin resistance and blood pressure also decreased.

The study's lead spokesperson, Dr. Giovambattista Desideri, said the findings offer new insights into preventing cognitive impairment, but further research is needed to determine how long the positive benefits last and how much cocoa flavonoids are needed to achieve such an effect.

In addition, maintaining a balanced daily diet is also a necessary rule. Although cocoa has many benefits, you still need to be careful to control your intake so as not to consume too many calories.