Cocoa flavanols
CLimited / mixedHigh-dose cocoa flavanols may aid memory in older adults — but most chocolate has too little to matter.
Grade C — Limited / mixed
What it does
Flavanols improve cerebral blood flow. A high-dose trial improved hippocampal-dependent memory in older adults; benefit was biggest in those with poor baseline diets.
How to take it
~500–900 mg/day flavanols from a standardized supplement. Regular chocolate won't get you there.
Caveats & safety
Don't read this as 'eat chocolate.' Cocoa powder/extract, dosed, is the actual intervention.
The evidence
Brickman AM, et al. Enhancing dentate gyrus function with dietary flavanols improves cognition in older adults. Nat Neurosci.
2014 · RCT, older adults, 3 months
High-flavanol diet improved dentate-gyrus function and object-recognition memory.
Effect: Memory task speed improved to roughly that of a typical adult decades younger.
Read on PubMed →Should this be in your routine?
Ask the coach — it'll tailor doses to your sleep, goals and current stack.
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