http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/05/yummy_natural_c.html

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http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/05/yummy_natural_c.htmlYummy Natural Compound Boosts Memory Skills

By May 29, 2007 | 5:41:38 PMCategories: Food and Drink

Good news for dark chocolate lovers! Sedentary mice fed epicatechin -- a natural

flavanol found in blueberries, tea, grapes, and cocoa (read: dark

chocolate) -- demonstrated greater memory skills than those who were

deprived; exercise boosted performance in both groups.

Epicatechin was shown to increase blood-vessel growth in the dentate

gyrus -- an area of the brain that undergoes neurogenesis -- and mature

neuron development. The addition of exercise further showed increased

expression of genes important for learning and memory, and a decrease

in genes associated with inflammation and neural degeneration.

Unfortunately, there's a potential conflict of interest. This research -- published in the Journal of Neuroscience and performed by Henriette van Praag from the Salk Institute -- was supported by DARPA, with the epicatechin provided by Mars, Inc. Mars markets "epicatechin-rich" lines of chocolate, including dark chocolate versions of Dove and M & Ms.

Will it stop me from enjoying dark chocolate? Not a chance. A 2004

study out of the University of California, San Francisco -- also funded

by Mars, Inc. -- found that eating a 1.6-ounce Dove Dark Chocolate bar

a day increased

blood flow and blood vessel dilation in humans. Study author Engler said

"dark chocolate contains more flavonoids than any other food --

including green tea, black tea, red wine, and blueberries."

Yum?

Natural Compound and Exercise Boost Memory in Mice [EurekAlert]

Update (05/30/07 11:03am): While epicatechin-fed

mice showed an increase in blood-vessels in the dentate gyrus, mice on

diets without epicatechin showed greater new cell survival. To

compensate, epicatechin upregulated genes associated with neuronal

extension, synaptic plasticity, and increased neuronal spine density

(which is associated with improved learning and memory). Epicatechin

appears to help you make the most of what you have while inhibiting

cell growth that may clutter your brain and limit the efficiency of

learning.

Warmest regards, Moe Webster http://www.jujuyouz.mobi "Comprehensive energetic coaching solutions utilizing the power within YOU!" "What we nurture in ourselves will grow; that is nature's eternal law." ~Goethe