According to Kings College London biochemist Dr Robert Williams, a flavonoid found in cocoa called epicatechin is being researched as having a positive effect on protecting brain and body cells against cancer and dementia.

The naturally occurring flavonoids not only act only as antioxidants, which help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals, but may also delay the onset of illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease:
Central to the development of Alzheimer’s disease is beta-amyloid peptide, a substance normally produced in the brain but which in Alzheimer’s is deposited abnormally.
Williams has shown that flavonoids can protect brain cells against the toxic actions …read more

Chocolate news just keeps getting better and better, doesn’t it?
Science Daily had an article up a few weeks ago about the brain benefits of not only chocolate but wine and tea as well.
The dynamic trio apparently helps with cognitive performance: in a test with 2,031 elderly people between the ages of 70-74, the ones who ate the chocolate, tea and wine scored higher in a battery of cognitive tests than those who didn’t.
The reasoning behind the boost in brain function is still being studied (isn’t it always?), but it’s theorized that because cocoa, tea and red wine contain polyphenols — …read more

More good news on the health front. Research is showing that chocolate is good for preventing alzheimer’s disease. As in, “I’ve forgotten how much chocolate I’ve eaten today”. Okay, that was a pretty lame attempt at a joke, and actually if it prevents alzheimer’s you would always remember how much chocolate you’ve eaten.
But seriously, its those good old antioxidants again, the once that chocolate is loaded with, that give people good memory function. In fact, while other foods like apples, black tea, and red wine have all had their day in the spotlight as being high in antioxidants, chocolate is …read more