<p>In some good news for people with a sweet tooth, scientists have found that regular consumption of chocolate may be associated with better cognitive function.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Chocolate and cocoa flavanols have been associated with improvements in a range of health complaints dating from ancient times, and has established cardiovascular benefits, but little was known about the effects of chocolate on neurocognition and behaviour, researchers said.<br /><br />Researchers from University of South Australia, University of Maine in US and the Luxembourg Institute of Health undertook an analysis of 968 community-dwelling participants, aged 23-98 years, from the Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study (MSLS).<br /><br />To measure cognitive function, participants were given a series of tests. "More frequent chocolate consumption was significantly associated with better performance on (tests including) Visual-Spatial Memory and Organisation, Working Memory, Scanning and Tracking, Abstract Reasoning, and the Mini-Mental State Examination," researchers wrote in an abstract published in the journal Appetite.<br /><br />"With the exception of Working Memory, these relations were not attenuated with statistical control for cardiovascular, lifestyle and dietary factors," they said.</p>
<p>In some good news for people with a sweet tooth, scientists have found that regular consumption of chocolate may be associated with better cognitive function.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Chocolate and cocoa flavanols have been associated with improvements in a range of health complaints dating from ancient times, and has established cardiovascular benefits, but little was known about the effects of chocolate on neurocognition and behaviour, researchers said.<br /><br />Researchers from University of South Australia, University of Maine in US and the Luxembourg Institute of Health undertook an analysis of 968 community-dwelling participants, aged 23-98 years, from the Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study (MSLS).<br /><br />To measure cognitive function, participants were given a series of tests. "More frequent chocolate consumption was significantly associated with better performance on (tests including) Visual-Spatial Memory and Organisation, Working Memory, Scanning and Tracking, Abstract Reasoning, and the Mini-Mental State Examination," researchers wrote in an abstract published in the journal Appetite.<br /><br />"With the exception of Working Memory, these relations were not attenuated with statistical control for cardiovascular, lifestyle and dietary factors," they said.</p>