Breakthrough: A Cup Of Cocoa A Day Keeps Memory Loss Away

[jerry]

It’s all about cocoa ‘flavanols’.

An amazing new report in the journal Nature Neuroscience reveals that a test group of volunteers aged from 50 to 69, after having a daily cup of cocoa* (details below), “after three months that person on average had the memory of a typical 30- or 40-year-old.”

The study has revealed that cocoa contains ingredients that reverse age-related memory decline. But not just any cocoa:



Columbia University Medical Center scientists published the results of a dietary experiment (the effects of flavanols extracted from cocoa beans) on the aging human brain.

The results were remarkable.

A group of 37 healthy volunteers aged from 50 to 69 was randomly divided in two. Each day for three months, they had a specially-prepared cocoa drink. One group consumed the drink with 900mg of flavanols, and the other with only 10mg of these compounds.

For those who consumed the high-cocoa-flavanol drink, “If a participant had the memory of a typical 60-year-old at the beginning of the study, after three months that person on average had the memory of a typical 30- or 40-year-old,” said senior author Scott Small.


The Cocoa

A cocoa flavanol-containing test drink prepared specifically for research purposes was produced using a proprietary process to extract flavanols from cocoa beans.

Most methods of processing cocoa remove many of the flavanols found in the raw plant whereas other specific processing does not.

Chocolate or Cocoa comes from the cacao bean (pronounced, cah-cow), which are the dried seeds of a South American evergreen tree (Theobroma cacao). It is also referred to as the cocoa bean.

Pure organic cocoa powder that has not been roasted or processed at high temperatures have the highest levels of flavanols and ORAC antioxidant power.

One reason that flavanols found in cocoa powder are often removed from commercial cocoas is because they tend to have a bitter taste.


For our cocoa consumption desires, we have been purchasing the following organic raw cocoa for years. It’s not your typical processed sweet cocoa, but instead is rather bitter due to it’s cold-press process from the bean rather than a heat process. I’ve learned to enjoy the unique taste in a hot natural organic cocoa drink (or in cookies )

I don’t know the numeric or measured level of flavanols (as in the 900mg study via a proprietary extraction process) but given the ‘cold press’ method used for the Navitus organic powder, it’s probably pretty good…

So – if you’re in that age group above 50, you might want to consider adding a cup of ‘real’ cocoa to your daily diet to (reportedly) help keep your mind sharp as a 30 or 40-something…

Navitas Naturals Organic Raw Cacao Powder




UPDATE: I have contacted Navitus Naturals and asked them regarding the flavanoid levels in their cold-pressed cocoa powder. This is their response:


Thank you for contacting us and for your question about flavanols in our Cacao products.

Flavanols are a sub-category of the major antioxidant category of flavonoids. Navitas Naturals uses a third party lab to test for the flavonoid content of our Cacao products.

Cacao Powder: 11% (Serving size of 14g = 1540 mg of flavonoids)

Cacao Beans: 6.8% (Serving size of 28g = 1904 mg of flavonoids)

Cacao Nibs: 3.4% (Serving size of 28g = 952 mg of flavonoids)

I have calculated (using my digital scale) the equivalent amount of their Cacao Powder to equate to 900mg of flavanoids (used in the test above) and is as follows:

2 Tablespoons Cacao Powder = 900mg flavanoids

14g = 1540mg (flavanoids)
8.2g = 900mg (flavanoids)

(1 Tablespoon cacao powder weighs 4g)




UPDATE: Regarding the concern of cadmium levels.

Cacao is grown in Peru where there is a higher level of volcanic ash content in the soil, which makes the product especially nutrient rich and may also cause higher levels of some naturally occurring elements, like Cadmium.

It is an industry wide issue with cacao and not with any company in particular.

A statement from Navitus Naturals:


Cadmium can also result from man-made sources like fertilizers, but fortunately our organic products are not grown with artificial fertilizers.

The amount of cadmium in foods is generally low. In the United States, people typically eat 2.5 micrograms of cadmium per kilogram of their body weight per week.

The EU recommended daily limit is 2.5 micrograms per kg body weight per week which for a 150 pound person translates to 170 micrograms per week or 24 micrograms per day.

One serving of our Organic Cacao Powder was well below the current EU daily limit for an average sized adult.

Many foods have trace levels of cadmium, including meats, grains (especially rice), vegetables (especially leafy greens) and sunflower seeds.

The Children’s Food Project report of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency found cadmium in 57% of the foods tested. The highest level of cadmium was found in breakfast cereal at .284 ppm. Ninety-seven percent of the nut-based products contained cadmium with an average of 0.053 ppm. Health Canada did not consider that any of the tested foods represented a concern to human health with respect to the cadmium levels.

If you are concerned about your cadmium levels, see your health care provider

Sources:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releas...-dfr102314.php
http://www.nature.com/neuro/journal/...l/nn.3850.html

[bettye198]

I'll drink to that. Some of the purest metabolic shakes have cocoa as an ingredient. Toxic metals is the forerunner for many diseases.

[Yetti]

So I need a truck of cocoa !! for my severe attacks of CRS ( can't remember s;;t!) Thanks for your post now I'll enjoy more the hot cocoa with the winter coming !!!

[lucidity]

Hi Jerry,

Your post reads like an advert for cocoa powder.

So – if you’re in that age group above 50, you might want to consider adding a cup of ‘real’ cocoa to your daily diet to (reportedly) help keep your mind sharp as a 30 or 40-something…

I don't think that a statement from a manufacture is going to be
an honest, unbiased source of information on their own product(s).
The statement from Navitas Naturals is clearly misleading.

Cadmium is NOT a by-product of anything.
Cadmium is a metal, you can't _make_ it.
Which fertilisers contain cadmium ?
Those manufactured in Peru ?
I'm sure the Irish Peat Moss fertiler is pretty deficient in cadmium.

Navitas Naturals have selected some information sources to cite in
their statement. Is it a balanced, even handed sample of sources ?
Are they likely to site the studies showing the toxicological effects
of even minimal cadmium exposures ? Their aim is to sell their
product and so they're going to present their arguments accordingly.

If you want an honest, impartial assessment of the cadmium levels
in cocoa, go and check out the research results at ConsumerLab.com.
That way, you'll be able to see which brands of cocoa powder have
the lowest levels of cadmium. They might even have some research
data on the flavanoid content of these different brands too.

Marketing, PR... don't expect the truth from them.
They don't care about the honesty or integrity.
They just want your money.

Research like this has come out many times before.
About all kinds of things.. milk, butter, cigarettes, wine (or whiskey).. acai berries,

Such research normally have three important features in common:
1. The results are glowing regarding the health benefits of X.
2. It's industry sponsored research.
3. It turns out, following research replication,
that the results were untrue or grossly exaggerated.

The fact that this was published by a University simply
obscures the fact that research was sponsored by a manufacturer.

Often the deal is subtle but obviously corrupting:
Sponsor says: If the initial study is positive then we might well
be interested in sponsoring further research.

The putative health benefits here are flavanoids.
Try any type of berry, particularly elderberry or chokeberry, but
also blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, etc. provide lots of flavanoids.

If there's a specific flavanoid you're interested in, you will find that
you can normally buy it as a supplement for less than the cost of
buying the equivalent volume of raw vegetable/fruit/etc

If anyone is concerned about their cadmium levels:
1. you should be, excess metals are widely suspected to be
associated with various types of dementia and neurological problems.
2. reduce your consumption of foods containing cadmium.
3. check with consumerLab.com for which brands contain the least cadmium.
4. See if it's possible (and affordable) to have your cadminum levels checked.

be happy

lucidity :-)

[sigma6]

I love cocoa! I put in my coffee all the time... I heard the hot water releases the flavonoids even better, and it's still priced pretty decent for a container of cocoa powder... my fave coffee flavenator! so I will drink to that!