Clarkson University researcher Ali Boolani recently completed a study that explores the powers of these two dark delights.
In a nearly year-long double-blind study, some lucky participants drank brewed cocoa, cocoa with caffeine, caffeine without cocoa, and a placebo with neither caffeine nor cocoa. Then they were asked to do tests to evaluate both cognitive tasks and mood.
Boost attention and ease anxiety
"It was a really fun study," Boolani says. "Cocoa increases cerebral blood flow, which increases cognition and attention. Caffeine alone can increase anxiety. This particular project found that cocoa lessens caffeine's anxiety-producing effects - a good reason to drink mocha lattes!"
Before you envy the test subjects too much, bear in mind they had to work for the warm drinks. For example, they were asked to watch as letters flashed across a screen and note when an "X" appeared after an "A." They also had to point out when odd numbers appeared sequentially, and they were required to do subtraction.
"The results of the tests are definitely promising and show that cocoa and caffeine are good choices for students and anyone else who needs to improve sustained attention," says Boolani.
Source: Clarkson University via Sciencedaily.com
"It was a really fun study," Boolani says. "Cocoa increases cerebral blood flow, which increases cognition and attention. Caffeine alone can increase anxiety. This particular project found that cocoa lessens caffeine's anxiety-producing effects - a good reason to drink mocha lattes!"
Before you envy the test subjects too much, bear in mind they had to work for the warm drinks. For example, they were asked to watch as letters flashed across a screen and note when an "X" appeared after an "A." They also had to point out when odd numbers appeared sequentially, and they were required to do subtraction.
"The results of the tests are definitely promising and show that cocoa and caffeine are good choices for students and anyone else who needs to improve sustained attention," says Boolani.
Source: Clarkson University via Sciencedaily.com
