Winter Beverage Revs Up Your Brain?!
By
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Posted December 31, 2020
Dear Reader,
It’s New Years’ Eve – out with the old and in with the new!
Now, who wouldn’t want to start the new year a bit smarter?
Now, even though being smarter may not be at the top of your health goals list — it should be.
That’s because one of the KEYS to fending off Alzheimer’s and other dementias is to keep your brain in top-notch shape.
And luckily a cup of cheer we all turn to (especially when it’s cold outside) is just what the doctor ordered to keep your brain in working order.
A new study from the University of Birmingham published in the Journal Scientific Reports discovered that drinking hot cocoa is not just a fun treat when you come in from the chill outside, but it also might be a smart choice for your brain!
The researchers found that consuming a flavanol–rich product (such as cocoa) increases your mental performance.
Cocoa is a good source of flavonoids – which are a group of molecules naturally in occurring in fruits and vegetables that have many benefits for your body and your brain.
Scientists have found over 4,000 different flavonoids and they have many beneficial health effects. This is thanks to their antioxidant properties (which have even been researched for cancer prevention).
Flavonoids have been studied for many years and have shown to improve brain health in general. But this new report found that flavanols also increase blood oxygen levels to your brain.
That oxygen is just what your brain needs to think faster, work more efficiently, and perform well on cognitive challenge tests.
The study used 18 healthy men between the ages of 18 and 40 and tested how flavonoids affected their brains.
Using a fancy test called a Near Infrared Spectroscopy, the researchers could see changes in blood oxygen levels when the participants were given a carbon dioxide challenge after drinking cocoa.
The researchers found that the flavanol–rich cocoa kept blood oxygen levels high even after breathing carbon dioxide rich air!
They then sent the participants through some progressively complex mental tests.
The cognitive exams backed up the oxygen findings, where they found significant improvements in speed and accuracy for mental challenges.
On average, the group finished the more complex task 11 percent faster when they were drinking cocoa.
The researchers chose cocoa because it’s one of the more concentrated forms of flavonoids, and it is tasty.
But the good news is flavanols can also be found in other foods such as grapes, apples, tea, coffee, berries, and even wine.
Make sure you are adding flavonoids to your diet every day!
P.S. If you’re looking for more ways to boost your brain and slam the brakes on dementia, I urge you to – while sipping your hot cocoa – click here and read about my no. 1 plan for STOPPING dementia.
Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.
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