Chocolate Consumption, Cognitive Function, and Nobel Laureates (2012)

nejm.org

5 points·mpweiher··7 comments

I looked at a number of studies about supplements and found that chocolate was the best supported in the literature for improving the function of antioxidant systems. My own observation (consistent with literature) is that daily dark chocolate helps with my blood pressure though my doc and my nutritionist and two nutritionists that I worked with at a startup are all skeptical.

though my doc and my nutritionist and two nutritionists that I worked with at a startup are all skeptical.

The scientific approach is to assess their responses after giving them dark chocolate and dark chocolate placebo, double blinded.

Tough to do. I haven’t seen a commercial cacao supplement that really competes with Lindt bars… and I’ve thought about manufacturing one. [1] A placebo with 0% cacao and competitive sensory qualities seems out of reach.

[1] Not sure what the active agent is, it might even be the fat that I’d want to cut out

https://web.archive.org/web/20121012064648/www.nejm.org/doi/...

Completely unsweetened highly concentrated chocolate is great for when you just need to plow through something. I used to do that all the time for last minute homework assignments in college.

Needs a (2012) tag and you need an account to NEJM to access. Can't find it via PubMed etc.

https://web.archive.org/web/20121012064648/www.nejm.org/doi/...

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