Counteracts Cognitive Decline

From Enhancing Human Cognition with Cocoa Flavonoids
Frontiers in Nutrition 16 May 2017. A peer-reviewed, mini review article from Italian Scholars: Valentina Socci, Daniela Tempesta, Giovambattista Desideri, Luigi De Gennaro and Michele Ferrara.

• "Although still at a preliminary stage, research investigating the relations between cocoa and cognition shows dose-dependent improvements in general cognition, attention, processing speed, and working memory."
• Cocoa flavanols administration could also enhance normal cognitive functioning and exert a protective role on cognitive performance and cardiovascular function specifically impaired by sleep loss, in healthy subjects.
• Together, these findings converge at pointing to cocoa as a new interesting nutraceutical tool to protect human cognition and counteract different types of cognitive decline, thus encouraging further investigations. 

Equivalent Serving Sizes Referenced: From estimates based on this article published by Yale researchers:

• 250mg of cocoa flavanols = 18g of 100% cacao beans or about one serving (or less) of snacking cacao. 
• 994mg cocoa flavanols = 71g of 100% cacao beans. This was a supplement-based study, so we can not recommend trying to achieve this level of cocoa flavanols from chocolate or snacking cacao due to added sugar and calories.