Are you a coffee & chocolate lover?
Number 2 on Healthlines list of brain boosting foods Coffee
If coffee is the highlight of your morning, you’ll be glad to hear that it’s good for you.Two main components in coffee — caffeine and antioxidants — help your brain.
The caffeine in coffee has a number of positive effects on the brain, including :
Increased alertness: Caffeine keeps your brain alert by blocking adenosine, a chemical messenger that makes you sleepy (10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source).
Improved mood: Caffeine may also boost some of your “feel-good” neurotransmitters, such as serotonin
Sharpened concentration: One study found that when participants drank one large coffee in the morning or smaller amounts throughout the day, they were more effective at tasks that required concentration (14Trusted Source).
Drinking coffee over the long term is also linked to a reduced risk of neurological diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimers.
This could at least be partly due to coffee’s high concentration of antioxidants (15Trusted Source).
SUMMARY:
Coffee can help boost alertness and mood. It may also offer some protection against Alzheimer’s, thanks to its caffeine and antioxidants.
Number 7 on this list is Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate and cocoa powder are packed with a few brain-boosting compounds, including flavonoids, caffeine and antioxidants.
Flavonoids are a group of antioxidant plant compounds.
The flavonoids in chocolate gather in the areas of the brain that deal with learning and memory. Researchers say these compounds may enhance memory and also help slow down age-related mental decline
In fact, a number of studies back this up.
In one study including over 900 people, those who ate chocolate more frequently performed better in a series of mental tasks, including some involving memory, than those who rarely ate it
Chocolate is also a legitimate mood booster, according to research.
One study found that participants who ate chocolate experienced increased positive feelings, compared to participants who ate crackers.
However, it’s still not clear whether that’s because of compounds in the chocolate, or simply because the yummy flavour makes people happy
SUMMARY:
The flavonoids in chocolate may help protect the brain. Studies have suggested that eating chocolate could boost both memory and mood.
OUR SUMMARY :
We are huge coffee and chocolate lovers so it’s break time and we’re off for a coffee and some dark chocolate
Source :Healthline
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