Tea & Chocolate: Chemicals May Boost Cognitive Brain Performance

Can it be true? All that great Bigelow Tea AND your favorite chocolate treat might actually help you finally complete that New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle! These are the findings of a new study by the University of Oxford’s Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics. Working with colleagues in Norway, the researcher’s findings show a strong correlation between tea and chocolate and enhanced cognitive performance. The team of researchers examined the relation between cognitive performance and the intake of common foodstuffs that contain flavonoids — including chocolate and tea.

The study looked at 2,031 people, aged between 70 and 74; participants filled in information about their typical food habits, and underwent a battery of cognitive tests. Those who regularly consumed chocolate or tea had significantly better average scores and higher cognitive performance. The team’s results, originally published in the Journal of Nutrition, looked at the role played by beverages such as tea, as it is a major dietary source of polyphenols.

Although the team cautions that more research is needed, these exciting findings support earlier research about polyphenols, and reinforce that tea and chocolate are a great match. The results of the Oxford study also support the results from a previously published study in the Journal of Neuroscience that concluded it may be possible to boost memory and cognitive ability with a plant compound called epicatechin which is also found in food and drinks — including tea. Sounds like it’s time to put the pot on!