This is how eating chocolate every day can make you smarter

Turns out chocolate is good for our brains, according to science (Photo: Shutterstock)Turns out chocolate is good for our brains, according to science (Photo: Shutterstock)
Turns out chocolate is good for our brains, according to science (Photo: Shutterstock)

A review from Italian University of L’Aquila has revealed that a small piece of dark chocolate each day can actually improve your day to day cognitive ability.

What does chocolate help with?

Valentina Socci and Michele Ferrara, authors of the review, say that dark chocolate actually improved attention, processing speed, working memory and verbal fluency.

The Italian researchers reviewed the effects of dark chocolate on elderly people who eat it on a regular basis.

The review found that, over the course of three months, the chocolate helped slow down a decline in memory.

How does it help?

The ‘magic’ of chocolate all comes down to the presence of something called cocoa flavanols.

They are a type of compound found in dark chocolate and also in fruits including apples, grapes and pears.

“If you look at the underlying mechanism, the cocoa flavanols have beneficial effects for cardiovascular health,” said the researchers.

The chemical compounds are reported to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

How much can I have?

Despite the benefits of the sweet treat, the researchers were keen to highlight that this doesn’t mean you can have unlimited amounts of milk chocolate.

“There are, however, potential side effects of eating cocoa and chocolate. Those are generally linked to the caloric value of chocolate,” the report said.

Milk chocolate contains extra additives like sugar and when eaten in excess is unhealthy.

People should stick to a small amount of dark chocolate, but it can be enjoyed every day.

As the report says, “Dark chocolate is a rich source of flavanols. So we always eat some dark chocolate. Every day.”

This article originally appeared on our sister site, Edinburgh Evening News