Scientists have found that a special cocoa that retains naturally occurring chemicals called flavanols, which are abundant in fresh cocoa, could help keep normal brain function and be used for future therapies against cognitive decline and dementia as it improves brain's blood vessel function.

The potential blood flow benefits linked to the flavanol-rich cocoa could be employed to increase learning and memory abilities. "This research is impressive in that multiple laboratories are coming to the same conclusion about this flavanol-rich cocoa, and the findings give us completely new insights into how this flavanol-rich cocoa may impact health in a variety of ways not previously known," said symposium organizer Dr. Harold H. Schmitz, chief science officer at Mars, Incorporated, a company that has supported research on cocoa flavanols for more than 15 years. "The findings raise the possibility that products utilizing this cocoa could be developed to help maintain healthy brain function throughout several life stages. More research examining the potential of this cocoa in this important area of public health need is clearly warranted."

One research, led by Dr. Ian A. Macdonald, from the University of Nottingham Medical School in the United Kingdom, discovered that the intake of this cocoa inflicted regional changes in the blood flow of subjects, revealing a therapeutic potential for cocoa flavanols in the treatment of vascular impairments within the brain. "Our study showed that acute consumption of this particular flavanol-rich cocoa beverage was associated with increased blood flow to gray matter for 2 to 3 hours," Macdonald said. "This raises the possibility that certain food components like cocoa flavanols may be beneficial in increasing brain blood flow and enhancing brain function among older adults or for others in situations where they may be cognitively impaired, such as fatigue or sleep deprivation."

Dr. Norman K. Hollenberg of Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital discovered similar effects in his studies made with the Kuna Indians of Panama's islands, who are heavy consumers of a cocoa. Their cocoa is particularly rich in flavanols.

This population presents unusually low rates of hypertension, cardiovascular disease and cancer compared to the mainland Panama population, which does not drink the flavanol-rich cocoa. The risk of death from heart disease amongst Kuna is 1,280 % lower than on the mainland and death from cancer is 630 % lower.

This study and others have linked these improvements in blood vessel function with a rise in the bloodstream of nitric oxide, a chemical that helps dilate blood vessels and keeps them pliable. Dr. Hollenberg offered the flavanol-rich cocoa to healthy over-50-aged subjects and discovered a "striking blood flow response" that emerged over several weeks. "Since this cocoa preparation is so well tolerated, it raises hope that the brain blood flow response it stimulates can result in maintenance of healthy brain function and cognition, which is an issue that unfortunately plagues many older adults today," Hollenberg said.

And the aging population is already reaching 78 million in US population only, out of a total of 301 million. As this cocoa improves the blood flow, it has in fact a similar effect to Viagra.

Could flavanol rich chocolate be the aphrodisiac of the future?