Cocoa and red berries for brain function in older adults
What it found
In 60 healthy adults aged 50 to 75, taking cocoa powder, red berries or both for 12 weeks improved the time taken to complete a planning test.
Levels of two nerve growth proteins in the blood did not change.
What they found
Studies in people
Planning test speed
After 12 weeks, all groups were faster at starting and finishing the Tower of London planning test. The improvement in finishing time was largest in the group that took both cocoa and red berries.
Nerve growth proteins
Blood levels of BDNF and NGF-R did not change significantly in any group over the 12 weeks.
BDNF and task movements
In women, higher blood levels of BDNF were linked to needing fewer movements to complete the Tower of London test.
NGF-R and test scores
In women, higher NGF-R levels were linked to higher scores on memory and processing speed tests. In men, higher NGF-R was linked to needing more movements on the Tower of London test.
Inflammation marker
Blood levels of IL-6 rose significantly in the cocoa group and the cocoa plus red berries group after 12 weeks.
Polyphenol levels
Urine levels of polyphenols corrected for creatinine rose significantly only in the cocoa group.
What the authors conclude
“A combination of both cocoa flavanols and red berry anthocyanins improve executive function of healthy aged subjects, enhancing performance on the neurocognitive test TOL.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that a combination of cocoa flavanols and red berry anthocyanins improves executive function in healthy older adults, specifically on the Tower of London test.
- They say this improvement was not linked to changes in BDNF or NGF-R levels.
- They call for further studies to understand the mechanisms behind the possible protective effect of cocoa flavanols and red berry anthocyanins on thinking and memory.
How it was done
The authors wanted to find dietary approaches that might help prevent the thinking and memory problems that become more common with age.
They ran a randomised, double-blind trial in 60 healthy volunteers aged 50 to 75. Each person took a cocoa powder, a red berries mixture, or a combination of both every day for 12 weeks. Thinking and memory were tested with a battery of neurocognitive tests, and blood levels of BDNF and NGF-R were measured.
What it can’t tell you
- The study had no control group, so it cannot show what would have happened without any supplement.
- The number of participants was small, which limits how confidently the results can be generalised.
- The study lasted only 12 weeks, so it cannot show whether any effects would last longer.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflict of interest.
- Authors work at
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos y Nutrición (ICTAN-CSIC), Spain; Hospital 12 de Octubre, Spain
The paper
- Title
- Neurocognitive Effects of Cocoa and Red-Berries Consumption in Healthy Adults
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- García-Cordero J, Pino A, Cuevas C, Puertas-Martín V, San Román R, de Pascual-Teresa S (2021). Neurocognitive Effects of Cocoa and Red-Berries Consumption in Healthy Adults. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu14010001Free full textPubMed 35010877DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error