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.