Neurocognitive Effects of Cocoa and Red-Berries Consumption in Healthy Adults

Abstract

In recent decades, the elderly population has increased at higher rates than any other population group, resulting in an increase in age-related diseases such as neurodegenerative and cognitive impairment. To address this global health problem, it is necessary to search for new dietary strategies that can prevent the main neurocognitive problems associated with the ageing process. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to analyze the effect of cocoa flavanols and red berry anthocyanins on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor receptor (NGF-R) and to stablish the possible improvement in cognitive performance by using a battery of neurocognitive tests that included the Verbal Learning Test Spain-Complutense, the Spatial Recall Test 10/36 BRB-N, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale III and IV, the STROOP Task and the Tower of London Test. A randomized, double-blind, parallel-group study was performed in 60 healthy volunteers between 50 and 75 years old who consumed a cocoa powder, a red berries mixture or a combination of both for 12 weeks. After the intervention, we observed a reduction in the time needed to start (p = 0.031) and finish (p = 0.018) the neurocognitive test known as the Tower of London in all groups, but the decrease in time to finish the task was more pronounced in the intervention with the combination of cocoa-red berries group. We failed to show any significant difference in BDNF and NGF-R sera levels. However we found a negative correlation between BDNF and the number of movements required to finish the TOL in women (p = 0.044). In conclusion, our study showed an improvement in executive function, without any change in neurotrofin levels, for all intervention arms.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Characteristic Evaluation of Dexmedetomidine on Neurocognitive Dysfunction in Elderly Patients with Colorectal Tumors after Laparoscopic Operation

“…Meanwhile, with the improvement of medical technology and society and the aging of the population, more and more old people would like to eliminate pain by operation. Consequently, POCD can seriously affect the life quality of elderly patients and produce some social problems [ 16 ].…”

Chocolate and Cocoa-Derived Biomolecules for Brain Cognition during Ageing

“…In most of the following trials, cocoa powder was enriched with additional flavanols, and it was consumed as a drink [ 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 ]. In some trials, cocoa powder was mixed in a dairy-based [ 53 , 55 , 56 , 57 ] or non-water matrix [ 59 ].…”

“…In most of the following trials, cocoa powder was enriched with additional flavanols, and it was consumed as a drink [ 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 ]. In some trials, cocoa powder was mixed in a dairy-based [ 53 , 55 , 56 , 57 ] or non-water matrix [ 59 ]. All cocoa drinks were usually standardized for their total cocoa flavanols content and closely matched for macro- and micro-nutrient content and caloric level.…”

“…The selected clinical trials of this review did not show any weight difference among participants after the consumption of cocoa and derivatives, where investigated [ 53 , 54 , 55 , 59 , 65 ]. However, the interventions were organized to be isocaloric between groups.…”

Systematic Review on the Potential Effect of Berry Intake in the Cognitive Functions of Healthy People

“…Studies that had as overall a low risk of bias (10 studies) or some concerns (2 studies) were considered acceptable for inclusion in the systematic review, conversely studies that had high risk of bias (3 studies) [ 23 , 24 , 25 ], mainly due to the randomization process, were excluded (see Figures S1 and S2 of the Supplementary Materials ). Finally, 12 studies were included for the present review [ 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 ].…”