A flavanol dietary supplement has been shown to boost memory in a study of more than 3,000 adults.
Flavanols are a class of flavonoids - naturally occurring compounds that come from plants, particularly plants of a deep, rich colour.
Flavonoid-rich foods include dark chocolate, nuts, onions, ginger, green tea and grapes.
Taking a dietary supplement containing these plant compounds can boost cognitive performance, a recent study suggests.
For the study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, more than 3,500 participants were divided up into two roughly equal groups.
One received a flavanol dietary supplement while the other received a placebo.
Researchers used tools including Alternative Health Eating Index (aHEI) scores and the Modified Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (ModRey) test to identify baseline health and memory scores.
The biggest improvements were found among those with the lowest aHEI scores (below 38) which, according to the researchers, “reflects a diet quality ranging from the U.S. average to slightly below average.”
They found that those who had a poor diet, but who received a flavanol pill had a sustained increase in baseline memory levels as compared to those who received a placebo pill.
The pill contained about 500 milligrams of cocoa-based flavanols, a naturally occurring compound.
It comes after a Harvard-led study in 2021 found that people with the highest daily flavonoid intakes were 19 percent less likely to report trouble with memory and thinking, compared with people who had the lowest daily flavonoid intakes.
According to nutritionist Rob Hobson, flavonoids are thought to be beneficial because they help to boost blood flow to the brain.
"This, in turn, helps to deliver more oxygen and nutrients, such as glucose – the main energy source for neurons," he told GB News.
