Protein & Nutrition Blog – Marmels

Dark Chocolate and Brain Function: The Flavanol Link

Protein & Nutrition Blog – Marmels

Dark Chocolate and Brain Function: The Flavanol Link

by Mo Mandegar, PhD on Jun 22 2026
Cocoa flavanols connect dark chocolate to brain function by raisingcerebral blood flow to the hippocampus. In a 2023 trial, 500milligrams of cocoa flavanols a day improved memory in older adultswho ate few flavanols to begin with. The catch: those flavanolssurvive only in minimally processed, high-cacao chocolate. Here isthe mechanism, what the research shows, and how to choose a bar thatstill has flavanols left in it.