Cocoa flavanols reversed memory decline in adults, restoring brain function to levels seen 30 years earlier

One of the study's authors is employed by MARS, Inc., which has commercial interests in cocoa flavanol products. The claim reported this study shows cocoa can restore brain function to levels "30 years younger," but the study doesn't support this dramatic improvement. Researchers found that participants (37) consuming high doses of cocoa flavanols (900 mg daily—equivalent to 1.3-4 lbs of dark chocolate, which isn't practical) showed small increases in blood flow to a specific memory-related brain region, which correlated with modest improvements on one pattern-recognition memory test. While the results suggest cocoa flavanols might slightly improve blood flow and certain aspects of memory, the effects were small, limited to one cognitive test, and the "30 years younger" claim is an exaggeration.