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Scientists found that a novel chocolate made of dietary cocoa extract can promote brain health in the elderly. The paper was published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
This novel chocolate can "prevent age-related neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease which is the most common form of age-related dementia affecting an estimated 44 million people worldwide," said Dr Giulio Maria Pasinetti, professor of neurology from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.
Cocoa extracts contain polyphenols - micronutrients that have many health benefits. Previous studies from Dr Pasinetti's laboratory suggest that certain cocoa extract preparations may prevent or possibly delay Alzheimer's disease in animal experimental models of the disease.
The role of cocoa polyphenols in preventing abnormal accumulation of toxic protein aggregates in the brain would play a pivotal role in preventing the loss of synapses. Evidence suggests that certain procedures used in cocoa processing can significantly influence its polyphenol content, ultimately influencing its biological activity.
"Interestingly, two of the most common processing techniques for the chocolate we consume have been reported to result in the loss of as much as 90 percent of the polyphenols in cocoa," Dr Pasinetti maintained.
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