As we get older, our memories aren’t quite the same as they used to be.

But did you know that there are some simple diet changes you can make to help keep your mind sharp and your memory in check?

According to scientists, eating chocolate might be good for your brain, particularly dark chocolate.

Specifically, just six squares of dark chocolate a day – along with some green tea, apples and berries – may help keep memory loss at bay, according to a recent study published in the journal The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

According to research, dark chocolate helps improve your brain’s function. Credit: Pixabay/Pexels

In the study, researchers from Harvard and Columbia University found that memory benefits came from consuming 500mg of flavanols daily in the form of a supplement.

But independent nutrition and preventative medicine experts claim this amount is ‘readily achievable’ through food.

Flavanols have long been known to have anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and anti-oxidative properties, and this new research shows they can also be beneficial for oral and memory health as well.

Flavanols are found in dark chocolate, apples, berries and green tea.

Consuming flavanols helps improve your brain health. Credit: Lisa Fotios/Pexels

‘The dose required for these improvements in brain health are readily achievable,’ said Professor Aedin Cassidy of Queen's University Belfast.

‘For example, one mug of tea, six squares of dark chocolate, and a couple of servings of berries and apples would together provide about 500mg,’ the professor continued.

An apple on its own can contain around 10mg of flavanols, and dark chocolate typically contains around 30mg per square, so it is easy to reach the recommended daily intake with a few adjustments to your diet.

The research, which involved more than 3,500 adults aged in their 70s, on average, showed that those taking a daily 500mg flavanol supplement over a three-year period saw their memory scores improve by 10 per cent.

However, not everyone was convinced by the findings.

Professor David Curtis of University College London said: ‘If anything, this study shows that flavanol supplements don't have any major effect on memory function. The study fails to provide evidence that increasing flavanol intake is beneficial and there is no need for anybody to contemplate changing their diet in the light of its findings.’

We all know that eating a balanced diet, including plenty of fruit and vegetables, is important for overall health, and if you can manage it, eating dark chocolate after your meals may help keep your memory sharp.

And while it is important to get the advice of your GP before trying out new medicine or diets, it certainly doesn’t hurt to incorporate some green tea, apples and berries into your food intake.

Bonus tip: See below for a guide on how to make sure you are eating a balanced diet.

WHAT SHOULD A BALANCED DIET LOOK LIKE?

Meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain, according to the NHS.

• Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruit and vegetables count.
• Base meals on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain.
• 30 grams of fibre a day: This is the same as eating 5 portions of fruit and vegetables, 2 whole-wheat cereal biscuits, 2 thick slices of wholemeal bread and a large baked potato with the skin on.
• Have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soy drinks), choosing lower fat and lower sugar options.
• Eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 portions of fish every week, one of which should be oily).
• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consume them in small amounts.
• Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of water a day.
• Adults should have less than 6g of salt and 20g of saturated fat for women or 30g for men a day.

Key Takeaways

• Eating six squares of dark chocolate a day may help improve memory, as flavanols found in dark chocolate have been found to boost brain function.
• Researchers from Harvard and Columbia University found that consuming 500mg of flavanols daily, through supplements or a healthy diet, can have memory benefits.
• Flavanols, which are also abundant in apples, berries, and green tea, are seen to be key in improving memory in old age.
• Experts suggest that the study's findings raise the possibility of using flavanol-rich diets or supplements to improve cognitive function in older adults.

Did you know about the health benefits of dark chocolate? Do you have any other tips for maintaining a sharp memory? Tell us about it in the comments below.

 

[Catherines]

I love dark chocolate & would eat it before milk chocolate any time. However, I do not eat it everyday or in the quantity mentioned.

 

[Gsr]

Sounds like a plan, maybe I should just eat dark chocolate all day. Love it, my health might suffer but I’d be as sharp as a tack.

 

[Cheezil]

As we get older, our memories aren’t quite the same as they used to be.

But did you know that there are some simple diet changes you can make to help keep your mind sharp and your memory in check?

According to scientists, eating chocolate might be good for your brain, particularly dark chocolate.

Specifically, just six squares of dark chocolate a day – along with some green tea, apples and berries – may help keep memory loss at bay, according to a recent study published in the journal The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

View attachment 21049

According to research, dark chocolate helps improve your brain’s function. Credit: Pixabay/Pexels

In the study, researchers from Harvard and Columbia University found that memory benefits came from consuming 500mg of flavanols daily in the form of a supplement.

But independent nutrition and preventative medicine experts claim this amount is ‘readily achievable’ through food.

Flavanols have long been known to have anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and anti-oxidative properties, and this new research shows they can also be beneficial for oral and memory health as well.

Flavanols are found in dark chocolate, apples, berries and green tea.

View attachment 21050

Consuming flavanols helps improve your brain health. Credit: Lisa Fotios/Pexels

‘The dose required for these improvements in brain health are readily achievable,’ said Professor Aedin Cassidy of Queen's University Belfast.

‘For example, one mug of tea, six squares of dark chocolate, and a couple of servings of berries and apples would together provide about 500mg,’ the professor continued.

An apple on its own can contain around 10mg of flavanols, and dark chocolate typically contains around 30mg per square, so it is easy to reach the recommended daily intake with a few adjustments to your diet.

The research, which involved more than 3,500 adults aged in their 70s, on average, showed that those taking a daily 500mg flavanol supplement over a three-year period saw their memory scores improve by 10 per cent.

However, not everyone was convinced by the findings.

Professor David Curtis of University College London said: ‘If anything, this study shows that flavanol supplements don't have any major effect on memory function. The study fails to provide evidence that increasing flavanol intake is beneficial and there is no need for anybody to contemplate changing their diet in the light of its findings.’

We all know that eating a balanced diet, including plenty of fruit and vegetables, is important for overall health, and if you can manage it, eating dark chocolate after your meals may help keep your memory sharp.

And while it is important to get the advice of your GP before trying out new medicine or diets, it certainly doesn’t hurt to incorporate some green tea, apples and berries into your food intake.

Bonus tip: See below for a guide on how to make sure you are eating a balanced diet.

WHAT SHOULD A BALANCED DIET LOOK LIKE?

Meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain, according to the NHS.

• Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruit and vegetables count.
• Base meals on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain.
• 30 grams of fibre a day: This is the same as eating 5 portions of fruit and vegetables, 2 whole-wheat cereal biscuits, 2 thick slices of wholemeal bread and a large baked potato with the skin on.
• Have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soy drinks), choosing lower fat and lower sugar options.
• Eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 portions of fish every week, one of which should be oily).
• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consume them in small amounts.
• Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of water a day.
• Adults should have less than 6g of salt and 20g of saturated fat for women or 30g for men a day.

Key Takeaways

• Eating six squares of dark chocolate a day may help improve memory, as flavanols found in dark chocolate have been found to boost brain function.
• Researchers from Harvard and Columbia University found that consuming 500mg of flavanols daily, through supplements or a healthy diet, can have memory benefits.
• Flavanols, which are also abundant in apples, berries, and green tea, are seen to be key in improving memory in old age.
• Experts suggest that the study's findings raise the possibility of using flavanol-rich diets or supplements to improve cognitive function in older adults.

Did you know about the health benefits of dark chocolate? Do you have any other tips for maintaining a sharp memory? Tell us about it in the comments below.

Prof David Curtis confirms what we're all thinking! Skeptical withoit proof, but i love those foods , so can only hope (tho they haven't seemed to help me at all thus far unfort)!