the healthy brain food is chocolate

Question

It’s rare to come across food that boosts brain function and is considered a pleasurable reward when you give yourself permission to eat it. But this is the exception that proves the rule, because in this case the healthy brain food is chocolate.

Not surprisingly, chocolate ranks as the most popular sweet treat in the world. Chocolate comes from cocoa beans, and people eat more than three million tons of them every year. From its humble beginnings with the Olmecs tribes of Mexico to its status as an upper class extravagance (and even, briefly, a currency), chocolate is something everyone can agree on. It’s that good.

It may also improve brain function. Studies over the years have shown that chocolate can help people maintain strong cognitive function deeper into life. It’s about as surprising as learning red wine and cheese might protect your cognitive functioning, too. 

Comments

Your explanation could use a little more summary of the article as you merely restate your claim with no evidence as to how you can prove it. Maybe link to a specific study that uses scientific evidence to prove your claim or draw your conclusions from the study. Maybe it is simply eating the chocolate that makes you happier, leading to healthy mental health and therefor long-term health.

Answer 1

The attached article from Better Aging (BA) claims that chocolate improves cognition and focus. It references three studies, two from Loma Linda University and one from the University of Illinois. 

The article does not clarify which specific studies through Loma Linda University it pulled its information from. While there are two studies conducted by Loma Linda with findings similar to the article's claims, BA misrepresents some aspects the findings. For one, it uses the terms chocolate and dark chocolate interchangeably, when the only applies to dark chocolate. The article claims that chocolate has benefits that reach "deeper into life," though both of the studies it references only discuss dark chocolate's short-term benefits. More notably, the article fails to mention that the principal investigator of both Loma Linda studies, Dr. Lee Berk, states that the phenomena, while supported by the studies, "require[s] further investigation" with larger sample sizes to determine "the significance of these effects for [...] the brain."

BA's source from the University of Illinois is reliable and also generally supports the article's main claim, though it's important to note that this study had a small sample size (only 18 participants). A blog post published by Harvard Medical School about chocolate and cognition states many studies on the topic tend to have smaller sample sizes, are "unable to eliminate the possibility of a placebo effect," and "cannot account for many other variables that can affect brain function."

A 2017 study from Frontiers in Nutrition found correlations similar to the other studies between dark chocolate and focus. A more recent study in the peer-reviewed journal Nutrients with a sample-size of 366 also "confirm[s] that acute and chronic cocoa intake have a positive effect on several cognitive outcomes," in healthy young people. The study's large sample size makes these results especially compelling. 

In short, the BA article makes some generalizations about the topic that could potentially be misleading. It leaves out some key details from the sources it references. At the same time, the article's main claim that dark chocolate improves focus and cognition is supported by multiple reliable sources. 

Comments

Great job breaking down the credibility of this article. One thing that you didn't consider is the claim itself. Although chocolate has some positive impacts the claim that it is "the" healthy brain food is an exaggeration and cannot really be proven.

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I agree that the main claim is exaggerated and leaves out some key details to be considered true. However, thank you for questioning the credibility and accentuating the facts in the references. You used very reliable sources.

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I appreciate you bringing to attention that the original fact-check referenced all chocolate as a possible cognitive-function-improving snack. In reality, it’s only dark chocolate that is said to show any sign of improving brain function. Due to this oversight, I agree with labeling this fact-check as misleading/exaggerated.

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I liked that you used multiple reliable sources in your answer and that you pointed out dark chocolate and chocolate being used interchangeably. The difference between specifically dark chocolate and chocolate in general seems to be a very important distinction in this case.

Answer 2

This is somewhat true. Dark chocolate specifically was found to improve things like memory, stress levels, and mood in a study done at Loma Linda University in California. However, these effects were only found in types of chocolate higher in cocoa, such as dark chocolate. So, your average milk chocolate Hershey's bar or Dove chocolate probably won't have these effects. 

Study: New studies show dark chocolate consumption reduces stress and inflammation, while improving memory, immunity and mood | News (llu.edu)

Comments

I agree that the original claim or fact is somewhat true but also misleading. It is a general statement that implies all chocolate or the food in general is good for one's brain. There are a lot of factors that play into the health benefits from chocolate. This includes type ranging from dark, light, white, and other levels of cocoa. Milk chocolate is probably the most common chocolate that comes to mind. I base this off of the personal thought when I read the title. Factually as proven with your evidence, it is chocolate that has a higher amount of cocoa that has the possibility of benefits such as stress relief, mood, and improvement of memory.

Answer 3

The statement "The healthy brain food is chocolate" is unsubstantiated. There are many foods considered to be healthy for one's brain, what makes chocolate 'The' one? Nothing in the article substantiates chocolate as being more healthy for one's brain in comparison to other foods that are claimed to be 'healthy brain' foods.

https://www.betteraging.com/nutrition/is-there-a-connection-between-chocolate-and-better-brain-function/

Answer 4

Some of what this article was saying was true. studies have found that dark chocolate can improve your mood and stress levels, but not all chocolate contain the same amount of coco. so dark chocolate or the more amount of coco in the chocolate can be more useful then milk chocolate. 

source: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/your-brain-on-chocolate-2017081612179 

Answer 5

The article, “The Healthy Brain Food is Chocolate” is not false, but rather slightly misleading. This article, by Better Aging, claims that consuming chocolate every day for a week, “increased the expression of genes involved in neural signaling and sensory perception.” Their data came from a study done at Loma Linda University in California. The university focused on how the flavanols in dark chocolate can help stimulate brain activity immediately after consuming. Although the university’s information does match what was stated on Better Aging, the article produced it in a slightly misleading way. Loma Linda’s website presents their data as the hard facts from their singular investigation, while the authors of “The Healthy Brain Food is Chocolate,” presented the research as if it was a frequently tested truth. Oftentimes such bold statements take more than just one scientific study. This is backed up by the National Library of Medicine who explained that consuming flavanols is, “realistic and [a] reasonable preventive approach on neurodegenerative diseases,” but that “available evidence is very scarce and future studies are needed to increase the robustness of the results.” After reading information from both Loma Linda University and The National Library of Medicine it is evident that while the flavanols in chocolate have the potential to be beneficial to brain activity, more research needs to occur before it can be summed up as the next healthy brain food. 

https://www.betteraging.com/nutrition/is-there-a-connection-between-chocolate-and-better-brain-function/ 

https://news.llu.edu/for-journalists/press-releases/new-studies-show-dark-chocolate-consumption-reduces-stress-and-inflammation-while-improving-memory-immunity-and-mood

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7760676/ 

Answer 6

The claim that chocolate is healthy for the brain is misleading. The article does touch on how chocolate has many great benefits like a "positive impact on mood, cholesterol, insulin activity and blood vessel function." However, the research on whether chocolate helps brain function was only conducted on dark chocolate varieties. The Loma Linda University study that they mentioned in the article is still working on the cognitive effects of dark chocolate, so we do not have a concrete answer at the moment. Because the article generalizes about chocolate there is no real proof that all varieties have the same benefits.  

Answer 7

This claim is mostly true, but it could be more specific. Johns Hopkins Medicine claims that it "improves brain function" due to flavonoids, a chemical compound found in dark chocolate. This chemical has been proven to "have a positive impact on brain function, including better reaction time, visual-spatial awareness and stronger memory," but in exclusively dark chocolate, not chocolate in general.

Answer 8

"The healthy brian food is chocolate" is a claim that has no solid scientific evidence to support it. There is no concrete proof that chocolate is better than other foods, even though numerous foods are thought to improve brain function. Although studies have suggested that dark chocolate in particular may help reduce stress and elevate mood, this does not prove that chocolate is the best option for cognitive health. It's crucial to keep in mind that the benefits of chocolate are mostly linked to its cocoa content. As a result, black chocolate which has a greater cocoa content, is typically better at providing these advantages than milk chocolate. A week of daily chocolate consumption "increased the expression of genes involved in neural signaling and sensory perception," according to Better Aging. A 2017 evaluation by the National Library of Medicine adds credibility to this idea by indicating that dark chocolate may improve mental health and cognitive function. This information, however, is insufficient to support chocolate's advantage over other foods that are also known to support cognitive function, such as leafy greens, berries, and nuts. Therefore, dark chocolate should not be viewed as the only or best choice, even though it can be a component of a diet meant to promote mental health.

 

 https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/your-brain-on-chocolate-2017081612179

https://www.betteraging.com/nutrition/is-there-a-connection-between-chocolate-and-better-brain-function/

​​https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28560212/

Answer 9

In the article linked by Better Aging, they claim that “The findings from recent studies show that just one or two servings of dark chocolate may boost memory, improve cognition, strengthen the immune system and uplift your mood. The studies, from Loma Linda University in California, found brain activity increased in various regions of the brain 30 minutes after consumption of 48 grams of chocolate (about the size of a candy bar)  that was 70% cocoa and 30% organic cane sugar.” They suggest that 70% cacao (organic cocoa beans) enhances neuroplasticity, (the ability of the brain to form and reorganize synaptic connections, especially in response to learning or experience or following injury - The Oxford Dictionary). They also claim that ‘A second study from the university found eating 48 grams of chocolate every day for a week boosted the genes responsible for white blood cell activation and increased the expression of genes involved in neural signaling and sensory perception.” 

Harvard Health released an article noting that places where chocolate consumption is the highest also have the highest number of Nobel Peace Prize recipients. This is just an interesting fact, but there could definitely be a correlation there. This article references a study done by PubMed.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/your-brain-on-chocolate-2017081612179

PubMed released a study in which they analyzed the flavonoids found in cocoa. They found that they can exert cardiovascular benefits as well as attention span and memory retention. The administering of cocoa ingestion can lead to extreme benefits for at-risk patients. “Cocoa flavanols administration could also enhance normal cognitive functioning and exert a protective role on cognitive performance and cardiovascular function specifically impaired by sleep loss, in healthy subjects”. 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28560212/

The Cleveland Clinic provides some data on how much chocolate and what kind of chocolate is the most optimal for brain stimulation. “Peart says a recommended dark chocolate serving size is between one and two ounces, which is about 30 to 60 grams. That’s a bigger amount of chocolate than you might think. For example, one ounce is the equivalent of three thin squares of chocolate broken off from a bigger bar. Dark chocolate is also best savored slowly — a little goes a long way.” They say that although dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants and flavonoids, it is still high in calories and fat, so it should be enjoyed in moderation. It can be incorporated into any diet but shouldn’t be eaten excessively. They also recommend, “Start by having 50% dark chocolate and then move up to 65% and then 70% and work your way up.”

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/dark-chocolate-health-benefits

A study performed by the University of Illinois compiled 18 non-smoking, healthy adults and administered the cocoa in two rounds, the first containing flavonol-rich cocoa and the second containing processed cocoa with very little flavonols. Neither the participants or the researchers knew which kind of cocoa was ingested first. After two hours, the participants who had consumed the flavonol-rich cocoa. “Most of the participants had a stronger and faster brain oxygenation response after exposure to cocoa flavanols than they did at baseline or after consuming cocoa lacking flavanols, the researchers found. The levels of maximal oxygenation were more than three times higher in the high-flavanol cocoa versus the low-flavanol cocoa, and the oxygenation response was about one minute faster”.

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/dark-chocolate-health-benefits

I will mark this as misleading because the claim states that chocolate is "the" brain food, which is not necessarily true, but studies do prove that it can be helpful for brain connectivity.

Answer 10

This is correct to a certain degree. I think being more specific in your claim would help clear up some potential confusion by others.

Chocolate can be healthy, yes, but dark chocolate in specific is healthy for you. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, "Flavonols in dark chocolate have a positive impact on brain function, including better reaction time, visual-spatial awareness and stronger memory"

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-benefits-of-having-a-healthy-relationship-with-chocolate#:~:text=Increases%20heart%20health%3A%20The%20antioxidants,and%20death%20from%20heart%20disease.

In addition, dark chocolate is rich in magnesium, an element shown to improve brain functionality and overall mental wellness. For example, "Getting more magnesium through a balanced diet benefits brain health, potentially reducing the risk of developing dementia and other age-related cognitive conditions." This is reflecting the ideology that you can easily get magnesium through dark chocolate. This way you can enjoy a treat while at the same time getting all the magnesium you need.

https://www.sertomacenter.org/blog/?id=dietary-magnesium-promotes-brain-health&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwveK4BhD4ARIsAKy6pMJlCHRmAnPCW-l3GerCJo0iLK6DECSydKX_iqp_1paezNWuxXO5-vIaAqrxEALw_wcB