One Surprising Benefit Of Dark Chocolate You Didn’t Know About

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Feb 12, 2025 - 21:03

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One Surprising Benefit Of Dark Chocolate You Didn’t Know About

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February 12, 2025

Assistant Health Editor

By Ava Durgin

Assistant Health Editor

Ava Durgin is the Assistant Health Editor at mindbodygreen. She is a recent graduate from Duke University where she received a B.A. in Global Health and Psychology. In her previous work, Ava served as the Patient Education Lead for Duke Hospital affiliated programs, focusing on combating food insecurity and childhood obesity.

verhead view of chocolates bars pieces and chocolate cream on a cement background

Image by Addictive Creatives / Stocksy

February 12, 2025

This Valentine's Day, there’s more reason to indulge in dark chocolate than just to celebrate romance. New research 1 shows that your brain might benefit as much as your taste buds from a square of high-quality dark chocolate.

If you've been looking for an excuse to savor some cacao goodness, here's your sign—it could sharpen your focus during mentally demanding tasks.

The science behind dark chocolate & brainpower

A recent study 1 investigated how cacao polyphenols, the antioxidants found in dark chocolate, influence cognitive performance. The researchers compared two types of chocolate:

High-polyphenol chocolate (635 mg)Low-polyphenol chocolate (211.7 mg)

Participants consumed 25 grams of either chocolate and then completed challenging cognitive tests, including tasks requiring focus, selective attention, and response inhibition.

Key findings you’ll love

Cognitive accuracy stayed sharp with high-polyphenol chocolate:Participants who ate dark chocolate rich in polyphenols maintained high accuracy rates, even during longer rounds of testing. Those eating low-polyphenol chocolate saw their accuracy drop as the tasks went on.Improved focus under pressure:Eating high-polyphenol dark chocolate boosted activity in the sympathetic nervous system—the part of your body that keeps you alert and focused.Low-polyphenol chocolate didn’t cut it:People eating chocolate with fewer polyphenols reported a noticeable dip in concentration and struggled more with sustained mental effort.

Why does this happen

Dark chocolate is rich in flavonoids, a type of antioxidant that increases blood flow to the brain. This improved circulation likely explains the sustained cognitive performance and heightened alertness observed in the study.

Plus, cacao polyphenols are known to combat fatigue, which helps stave off mental burnout during prolonged tasks.

Interestingly, while reaction times didn’t change significantly between the groups, accuracy did—suggesting that the high-polyphenol chocolate group was better able to maintain precision under cognitive strain.