Background

After a good response from our "Games are good for You" feature, we have revisited again the area where you just love to hear the evidence. A team at Oxford (physiology department) examined the relationship between brain performance and the intake of chocolate, wine and tea.

Procedure

2031 people aged in their seventies took part in the experiment. They each completed surveys on their normal diet, and then took part in several brain and cognitive exercises. Afterwards, the data was split into those who reported drinking and chocolate diet habits, and those who do not.

Results and Evaluation

The "chocolate, wine, tea" group" had a higher mean test result in the brain tests than those that did not. The apparent reason for this is chocolate, wine and tea contain flavonoids; a special form of nutrient. However, the researchers caution that further investigations are needed before the theory can be scientifically concluded true. Due to this study, other groups are also investigating the effects flavonoids have on the human brain. One study is looking into flavonoids reducing the risk of dementia. Darren Beige hopes to follow these stories up when they arrive.