The Claim

Following ingestion of 494 mg of cocoa flavanols, cerebral perfusion increases during a conscious resting state, indicating that this effect does not require cognitive task engagement and may reflect intrinsic vascular modulation.

Source: The effect of flavanol-rich cocoa on cerebral perfusion in healthy older adults during conscious resting state: a placebo controlled, crossover, acute trial

What the research says

Supports is higher

Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.

Supports
48score
Challenges
0score

These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.

How it works
1 study reviewed
In plain English

Eating a specific amount of dark chocolate compounds can make more blood flow to your brain—even when you're just sitting still and not thinking hard—suggesting it might naturally help your blood vessels work better.

See the scientific wording

The cerebral perfusion increase following 494 mg cocoa flavanols occurs during conscious resting state, indicating that the effect is not dependent on cognitive task engagement and may reflect intrinsic vascular modulation.

What the research says

1 study

  1. Study: The effect of flavanol-rich cocoa on cerebral perfusion in healthy older adults during conscious resting state: a placebo controlled, crossover, acute trial

    Scientists gave people a drink with a lot of cocoa flavanols and measured blood flow in their brains while they were just resting—not doing any thinking tasks. Blood flow went up, which means the cocoa helped blood flow even when the brain wasn’t working hard.

Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies

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