Chocolate is one of the most beloved foods in the world, whether it is in fondue form, as a bar with nuts, a hot drink, or even infused in other dishes. Who doesn't love chocolate? Now, even there's more reason to love the delectable treat, according to a new study.
Researchers at Columbia University have discovered that chocolate can provide a good memory boost. The study, which was published in Nature, shows that a compound found in chocolate may have the potential to alleviate memory loss related to age.
Participants were individuals aged between 50 to 69 years old, and half of them were asked to take a chocolate drink that contained high flavanol levels every day for three months. The other half of the group took a similar drink for the same duration, but the chocolate had fewer flavanols. Flavanol is a compound found in cocoa.
The researchers studied the participants' brains, discovering that those taking the high-flavanol drink showed improvements in memory tests and higher activity oin the dentate gyrus, an area in the hippocampus related to memory. It was concluded that chocolate may be able to help combat age-related memory loss.
In love with chocolate even more? Below is a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe:
Metric Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
- 550 mL unsifted flour
- 5 mL baking soda
- 5 mL salt
- 250 mL butter or margarine, softened
- 175 mL granulated sugar
- 175 mL firmly packed brown sugar
- 5 mL vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 2 168 gram packages semisweet chocolate chips
- 250 mL chopped nuts
Preheat the oven to 190 ºC. In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In large bowl, combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla; beat until creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually add flour mixture; mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Using 5 mL measure, drop by rounded measures into ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes.
Makes 100 (5 cm) cookies
Recipe reprinted from "Living with Metrics" courtesy of Reader's Digest Association, Inc., Pleasantville, NY.
