Organic High Flavanol Cocoa

Organic Cocoa flavanols are naturally-occurring compounds in cocoa beans which remain high in concentration when the crop is minimally processed and are known to have an array of health benefits unseen in regular, commercial-grade cocoa and chocolate. High flavanol cocoa has been the subject of many studies in recent decades for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties as well as its ability to mitigate risk of stroke, heart failure, and type 2 diabetes among other disorders. Perhaps less widely-reported on, however, is high flavanol cocoa’s ability to help with cognitive function, especially as it relates to age-based cognitive decline.

Among the ways high flavanol can aid in cognitive function are those directly linked to its effects on vascular health. With a healthy blood flow to the brain being one of the main ways it stays healthy and able to function at a high level, high flavanol cocoa’s ability to boost overall blood flow greatly benefits cognitive health as well. Consumption of organic high flavanol cocoa can, however, benefit cognitive health more directly in multiple ways too, through crossing the blood-brain barrier and interacting with important signaling pathways among other methods. Read on to learn more about how organic high flavanol cocoa can boost cognitive function:

1.) Improved Blood Flow 2.) Improved Endothelial Function 3.) Direct Effects 4.) Improved Oxygenation References About the Author

Organic High Flavanol Cocoa and Improved Blood Flow

As said, a healthy blood flow is crucial for cultivating a healthy mind. Blood delivers oxygen and other vital nutrients to the brain, and when the ability of these nutrients to reach the brain is disrupted, the risk of cognitive decline, stroke, or even the beginning of diseases such as Alzheimer’s increases. High flavanol cocoa can mitigate this risk through positive effects such as reduction of oxidative stress, lowering of blood pressure, and prevention of blood clots that would otherwise obstruct blood flow.

Reviews of prior research such as the one performed by Steinberg et al. in 2003 cite high flavanol cocoa’s high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity as the mechanisms by which it can have these effects. They identify the trace amounts of minerals contained in high flavanol cocoa as among those responsible for regulating a healthy vascular tone, or the level of blood vessel tightness that supports a healthy blood flow. This means intake of organic high flavanol cocoa can promote blood flow throughout the body, with the brain simply being one of the critical areas it is able to effect.

Key Takeaways:

Organic High flavanol cocoa supports brain health through increased blood flow
Organic High flavanol cocoa contains minerals that keep blood vessels healthy
Organic High flavanol coca can help lower risk of stroke and cognitive decline

Organic High Flavanol Cocoa and Improved Endothelial Function

Another important aspect of how organic high flavanol cocoa’s ability to support overall vascular health leads to improved brain health comes in how it affects the endothelium, or the inner lining of blood vessels. The endothelium is crucial for allowing blood vessels to expand or contract in response to the body’s changing levels of needed blood flow, a factor that is especially relevant during periods of stress. By increasing the availability of nitric oxide in the body, high flavanol cocoa supports this area as well, allowing for healthier physical responses to mental stress.

In their 2006 study, Hagen Schroeter et al. demonstrate this ability of high flavanol cocoa to support both the availability and activity of nitric oxide in the body, with participants placed on a flavanol-rich diet having increased production and synthesis of the compound. The implications of this study’s asserted causal link between organic high flavanol cocoa and its reported vascular health effects are important for cognitive health as well, of course. Through nitric oxide’s ability to help prevent issues such as abnormal blood clots, a healthy blood flow to the brain is better ensured.

Key Takeaways:

Organic High flavanol cocoa can help blood vessels dilate when needed
Organic High flavanol cocoa supports nitric oxide availability in the body
Organic High flavanol cocoa’s benefits are important during periods of stress

Organic High Flavanol Cocoa- Direct Effects

While high flavanol cocoa’s positive effects on blood flow and vascular health are crucial for supporting brain health, however, regular consumption is shown to have multiple more direct effects on cognitive function as well. Observable benefits to memory, focus, and overall mental performance have been noted by several studies, with the ability of cocoa flavanols to cross the blood-brain barrier often being cited to explain them. By doing this, cocoa flavanols can physically interact with multiple critical regions.

In their 2017 paper “Enhancing Human Cognition with Cocoa Flavanoids”, researchers Valentina Socci et al. cite prior studies that identify these effects of organic high flavanol cocoa in both younger and older adults. They show that regions of the brain such as the hippocampus which are important for learning and memory while also being most susceptible to age-based cognitive decline are the same regions where cocoa flavanols can take direct action. Findings that indicate an ability of cocoa flavanols to interact with signaling pathways and support synaptic and tissue growth in the brain are also described.

Key Takeaways:

Organic High flavanol cocoa can benefit memory, focus, and cognitive function
Organic High flavanol cocoa can act on memory-critical regions of the brain
Organic High flavanol cocoa can support synapse and tissue growth in the brain

Organic High Flavanol Cocoa and Improved Oxygenation

Another way high flavanol cocoa can more directly support cognitive health, especially during periods of physical and mental stress, is in how it improves the brain’s ability to receive extra oxygen when necessary. This is once again related to its nitric oxide-enhancing capabilities, as nitric oxide’s job of supporting necessary blood vessel dilation means it supports oxygen recovery in the brain as well. By supporting brain oxygenation, high flavanol cocoa can help the body perform better in response to exercise or even demanding mental tasks.

This effect is supported by the research done in 2016 by Lieselot Decroix et al., which Socci et al.’s review also goes over in detail. Essentially, the study showed that even a single dose of organic high flavanol cocoa is enough to improve brain oxygenation during strenuous tasks through trials involving certain mental exercises. Decroix et al. determined that, even as compared to a similarly-administered placebo, high flavanol cocoa is able to boost mental performance as well as the brain’s ability to properly respond to physical strain.

Key Takeaways