Cocoa or multivitamins. Which one slows cognitive decline?
DATE 30/4/22
An interesting study has been published in the journal Alzheimer’s and Dementia examining the effect of cocoa extract on cognitive decline. Sadly — for chocolate lovers — it reported no improvements in cognition. However, the study did report an interesting secondary outcome: Taking a daily multivitamin for 3 years unexpectedly showed a positive cognitive result (vs. placebo). The result was greater for people with cardiovascular disease.
While this study is bad news for chocolate lovers — and for Mars, the company who supplied the cocoa extract — it’s excellent news for Centrum®, a company now owned by Pfizer — who supplied the multivitamins.
The multivitamin brand in the study, Centrum Silver, is marketed as a formulation for people over 50.
The study participants were 2262 adults aged 65 or over.
Why did they think cocoa might help cognition?
Cocoa has a number of micronutrients that support normal body and brain function. Deficiencies of these micronutrients have been shown to increase the risk of cognitive decline. Previous studies of the effect of cocoa on cognition have shown mixed results.
Personally, with a family history of dementia, I’m still going to play it safe and enjoy my piece of chocolate after dinner, but I may now follow it down with a multivitamin. What about you?
#centrum #pfizer #chocolate #cocoa