The Study
The effect of flavanol-rich cocoa on cerebral perfusion in healthy older adults during conscious resting state: a placebo controlled, crossover, acute trial
This study shows that drinking a special cocoa drink with lots of plant chemicals made people’s brains get more blood flowing in certain spots — but only right after they drank it, and only in older adults. It doesn’t prove it helps you think better or remember things.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
A special drink with lots of cocoa compounds made older adults' brains get more blood in areas linked to memory — even when they were just resting.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 548 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — more blood flow to memory-related brain areas may help thinking, especially as people age.
- 2494 mg cocoa flavanols → increased brain blood flow; 23 mg → no change.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Psychopharmacology
Year
2015
Authors
D. Lamport, Deepa Pal, C. Moutsiana, D. Field, C. Williams, J. Spencer, L. Butler
Related Content
Claims (6)
When older adults eat a specific amount of cocoa flavanols, blood flow in certain parts of their brain goes up—but only in those areas, and not because they just think it should work or because their body is reacting to anything else.
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.
Eating a lot of cocoa flavanols (almost half a gram) might boost blood flow to certain parts of the brain in older adults, but eating just a tiny bit (23 mg) doesn’t do anything — so more seems to make a difference.
Eating a chocolate drink with a lot of cocoa flavanols can make more blood flow to certain parts of the brain in people aged 50 to 65, and this effect shows up about two hours later—compared to a drink with very little cocoa.
Eating cocoa with flavanols might boost blood flow to a part of your brain that helps you form memories, like when you're trying to remember names or facts.
Eating a specific amount of cocoa flavanols doesn’t change blood flow in the brain unless you’re also consuming other flavanol-rich foods — even if the chocolate tastes and looks the same and has the same calories and stimulants.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.