http://www.scienceda...41026195046.htm
Some LongeCity subscribers seem to be interested in enhancement of their mental states. Not me. I'm interested in longer life, better quality of life, and avoiding age-related mental and physical deterioration.
I quote from the article linked above:
A cocoa flavanol-containing test drink prepared specifically for research purposes was produced by the food company Mars, Incorporated, which also partly supported the research, 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.
In the CUMC study, 37 healthy volunteers, ages 50 to 69, were randomized to receive either a high-flavanol diet (900 mg of flavanols a day) or a low-flavanol diet (10 mg of flavanols a day) for three months. Brain imaging and memory tests were administered to each participant before and after the study. The brain imaging measured blood volume in the dentate gyrus, a measure of metabolism, and the memory test involved a 20-minute pattern-recognition exercise designed to evaluate a type of memory controlled by the dentate gyrus.
"When we imaged our research subjects' brains, we found noticeable improvements in the function of the dentate gyrus in those who consumed the high-cocoa-flavanol drink," said lead author Adam M. Brickman, PhD, associate professor of neuropsychology at the Taub Institute.
The high-flavanol group also performed significantly better on the memory test. "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 Dr. Small. He cautioned, however, that the findings need to be replicated in a larger study -- which he and his team plan to do.
Flavanols are also found naturally in tea leaves and in certain fruits and vegetables, but the overall amounts, as well as the specific forms and mixtures, vary widely.
The precise formulation used in the CUMC study has also been shown to improve cardiovascular health. Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston recently announced an NIH-funded study of 18,000 men and women to see whether flavanols can help prevent heart attacks and strokes.
The researchers point out that the product used in the study is not the same as chocolate, and they caution against an increase in chocolate consumption in an attempt to gain this effect.
I'd like to get some of this stuff, or something like it. I doubt that the Mars Candy Company would sell it to me. It's possible that their formula for making it is posted somewhere on the internet somewhere, but I can't find it. There must way to get cocoa flavonols. They are not likely toxic, and I doubt the FDA has jurisdiction.
Anybody here on Longecity know about this?
The article makes other flavonols seem more attractive, too, but between flavonols and flavonoids and polyphenols, there are so many kinds, and so many possible sources. Cocoa flavonols, supported by this article, narrows the range of choices.
