Scientists now say that it may be possible to prevent and treat
Alzheimer’s Disease by consuming chocolate. Results of a study just
published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease indicate that nutrients
in cocoa extract can protect the brain from age-related degeneration.
The study was led by Dr Giulio Maria Pasinetti, Professor of Neurology
at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.
The key ingredients are
called polyphenols. These micronutrients prevent harmful proteins like
beta-amyloid from forming in the brain and leading to cognitive decline.
Cocoa polyphenols even help to clear out harmful proteins that have
already accumulated in the brain. Their benefits are so strong, said the
scientists, that they could envision the development of “chocolate
pills” for people to take.
To get the full benefit, the chocolate
must be made from a cocoa extract that’s processed in a very special
way. Dr. Pasinetti said, “Interestingly, two of the most common
processing techniques for the chocolate we consume have been reported to
result in the loss of as much as 90 percent of the polyphenols in
cocoa.“
