Skip to main content

Cocoa Supplementation No Aid for Cognition in Older Adults

Medically reviewed by Judith Stewart, BPharm. Last updated on Dec 15, 2023.

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Dec. 15, 2023 -- Cocoa extract supplementation does not show cognitive benefits for older adults over two years, according to a study published online Dec. 7 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Chirag M. Vyas, M.B.B.S., from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and colleagues compared whether daily supplementation with cocoa extract produces better cognitive change over two years than placebo. Analysis included 492 adults (≥60 years).

The researchers found that daily cocoa extract supplementation had no significant effect on two-year change in global cognition. Additionally, compared to placebo, cocoa extract had no significant effects on change in episodic memory or executive function/attention over time. However, cocoa extract may have cognitive benefits for participants with poorer baseline diet quality.

"Additional research on the role of cocoa extract supplementation in more diverse populations and among those with lower diet quality is warranted," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to Mars Edge, which helped fund the study.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted December 2023

Read this next

USPSTF: Not Enough Evidence to Recommend Screening for Food Insecurity

WEDNESDAY, June 26, 2024 -- The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) concludes that the current evidence is insufficient for recommending screening for food insecurity in...

Less Than One-Quarter of Patients Hospitalized for CVD Receive Dietary Counseling

TUESDAY, June 18, 2024 -- Dietary counseling is infrequently documented after hospitalization for cardiovascular disease (CVD) episodes, according to a study recently published in...

1999 to 2020 Saw Diet Quality Improve Among U.S. Adults

MONDAY, June 17, 2024 -- From 1999 to 2020, diet quality improved among U.S. adults, according to a study published online June 18 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Junxiu Liu...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.