Did you know that countries with the highest chocolate intake also have the most Nobel Prize winners?
This observation comes from a 2012 study in the New England Journal of Medicine.
That link could be coincidental.
But might eating chocolate really boost intelligence or other brain functions?
A recent review answers with a cautious
“maybe.”
Keeping your brain healthy
We all want to protect and enhance brain function.
Aging raises the risk of dementia-causing illnesses like stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.
Because populations are aging, dementia is expected to become much more common.
Yet researchers still lack highly effective dementia treatments after decades of study.
For prevention, follow the usual medical advice.
That means regular exercise, a healthy diet, maintaining normal blood pressure, not smoking, and drinking in moderation.
Activities marketed as “brain exercise”—such as hard math problems or word puzzles—along with many supplements, have not proven to prevent long-term cognitive decline.
Some studies hint that antioxidants, fish oil, stimulants like caffeine, or certain foods might help brain function or lower dementia risk.
But results remain inconclusive.
What’s the scoop on chocolate and the brain?
A review published in May 2017 in Frontiers in Nutrition examined whether flavanols—a type of flavonoid present in dark chocolate and cocoa—might help human brain function.
Flavanols have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Short-term effects: A 2011 study of young adults reported that **two hours after eating high-flavanol dark chocolate**, participants performed better on memory and reaction-time tests than those who ate white chocolate with low flavanol.
Other similar trials, however, found no benefit.Long-term effects: In a 2014 study, adults aged 50 to 69 who took a high-flavanol cocoa supplement for three months scored better on memory tests than those given a low-flavanol supplement.
Several studies found improved brain blood flow, higher oxygen levels, or enhanced nerve function on imaging or electrical tests after drinking cocoa.
But these physiological changes did not consistently translate into better performance on cognitive tasks.
The reviewers concluded these results are promising but not definitive.
Most studies were small and could not fully rule out placebo effects.
They also could not account for many other factors that influence cognition, such as existing medical conditions, baseline cognitive ability, or medications.
Where else can you find flavanols?
Flavanols appear in many fruits and vegetables, not just cocoa.
Examples include apples, red grapes, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, beans, kale, and onions.
A healthy diet usually contains lots of fruits and vegetables and therefore tends to be higher in flavanols.
However, studies specifically linking individual fruits or vegetables, dietary flavanol intake, and brain function are lacking.
The bottom line
Not all chocolate equals the same potential benefit.
Dark chocolate and cocoa contain higher flavanol amounts, while milk chocolate and white chocolate contain much less.
Also, many chocolates are high in sugar, fat, and calories.
So even if dark chocolate proves beneficial, doctors are unlikely to recommend a daily Godiva bar.
Many people want to believe chocolate is healthy to justify their consumption.
But current evidence does not convince me that chocolate or flavanols will reliably preserve or improve brain function.
Too much chocolate could also cause harm.
And regarding the link between high chocolate consumption and Nobel Prize winners, I can’t prove causation.
I doubt eating more chocolate will increase your odds of winning a Nobel Prize.