The consumption of epicatechin, plentiful in foods like cocoa, positively influences memory, executive function, and processing speed, particularly in older adults.
The research design for this paper was anchored on the use of intervention studies. These are intensive studies purposed to test breakthrough methodologies or practices on a select group of participants. In this case, the intervention was the ingestion of epicatechin, a compound found largely in cocoa. The subjects monitored were mostly from a more mature demographic, aged 50 years and above. The studies selected for review were those that lasted a minimum of 28 days to ensure an adequate examination period and only those which had a daily epicatechin dose exceeding 50 mg.
Discussion of Results:
The paper notes an appreciable improvement in the cognitive performance in those subjects who consumed diets high in epicatechin. More specifically, there was an enhancement in memory, executive function, and processing speed. Trends showed that these benefits were more conspicuous in studies which offered more than 50 mg of epicatechin daily, and ran for at least 28 days. The results were particularly noteworthy in the elderly population, where all participants showed cognitive improvement. The impact of epicatechin on cerebral blood flow, however, could not be definitively proved and the results suggest its role requires further exploration. Additionally, the synergistic effects of epicatechin with other dietary elements also complicated the ability to attribute the cognitive improvement to this compound alone.
