India, Nov. 3 -- Dark chocolate is more than a rich indulgence. It has brain-boosting benefits too! A study from Japan published in Current Research in Food Science found that the compounds present in dark chocolate, called flavanols, which give it the bitter taste, may temporarily sharpen memory and alertness. The previous findings did show that eating flavonol-rich foods helps in better recall, but this study shows a clear picture as to why that happens.

The experiment included giving mice flavanols before a learning task. Their memory was improved by 30 per cent. But the effect was only for an hour or so, when the brain's hippocampus, the region associated with memory, becomes active. The compound called flavanol triggers a chain reac...