The world ages at an accelerated rate. According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), between 2015 and 2050, the percentage of the planet’s inhabitants over 60 years of age will almost double, going from 12% to 22%. In Spain alone, people over 65 years of age in 2050 will represent more than 30% of the population.
Aging leads to an increase in diseases. Among the most common, it is worth highlighting hearing loss, cataracts, osteoarthritis, diabetes, depression and dementia. In addition, as you age, the likelihood of experiencing several diseases at the same time and complex health conditions called geriatric syndromes, such as frailty, increase.
For all these reasons, one of the most important current challenges is to be able to maintain health as we age, developing reasonable strategies that promote old age with adequate quality of life and independence. What if one of the possible strategies was as simple as drinking a cup of cocoa every day?
Antioxidant, anti-allergic and anti-carcinogenic
In recent years, a growing body of studies has emerged suggesting that cocoa is an important natural chemopreventive agent for various diseases. It is due, above all, to the fact that cocoa contains high levels of polyphenols, mainly flavonols, to which numerous beneficial health effects are attributed. In addition, it constitutes a rich source of fiber (40-26%), lipids (24-10%), proteins (20-15%), carbohydrates (15%) and micronutrients (< 2%), including minerals (P, Ca , K, Na, Mg, Zn, Cu) and vitamins (A, B, E).
The main advantage of cocoa and its derived products, as a possible preventive treatment for various pathologies, is that they are consumed throughout the world. In 2022 and 2023, almost 5 million tons of cocoa were produced worldwide, with per capita consumption of chocolate and cocoa derivatives in Spain being 3.3 kilos.
Various studies have shown an association between cocoa intake and a decreased risk of different chronic pathologies, such as cancer, metabolic disorders and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, a diet rich in cocoa positively affects visual function, hearing, the nervous system and the skin, among others. It seems to be due to its antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, anti-allergy and anti-obesity properties.
As if that were not enough, research has recently been carried out on the relationship between cocoa and the good state of the intestinal microbiota, which in turn ensures a good state of health in general.
Cognitive impairment and cardiovascular diseases
What if regular consumption of cocoa helped maintain good cerebral blood circulation and prevent cognitive decline, while avoiding cardiovascular diseases?
It is no utopia. Recently, in Sweden, the health of 31,823 women (48-83 years old) was studied for 9 years. And the results revealed that regular chocolate consumption (1 to 2 servings per week and 1 to 3 servings per month) was associated with lower rates of hospitalization for heart failure or even death. Similarly, an investigation with 531 subjects over 65 years of age over 2 years showed that chocolate consumption represents a 41% lower risk of suffering from cognitive impairment.
Furthermore, in elderly subjects with mild cognitive impairment, cognitive function was evaluated after 8 weeks of consuming beverages containing different amounts of cocoa flavonoids (993 mg the highest and 43 mg the lowest). At the end of the study, the intermediate and high cocoa groups showed better cognitive function.
But why? What mechanisms of action are behind these positive effects of cocoa? There is evidence that the administration of a natural cocoa drink rich in flavonoids (179 mg of cocoa flavanol per serving) to 60 participants (55 to 70 years) improved glycemia, triglyceridemia and cholesterol levels (HDL and LDL) . Furthermore, its consumption means greater physical performance and less fragility.
In line with this, a phase 2 randomized clinical trial, with 44 participants with peripheral arterial disease, concluded that a greater distance was covered in a 6-minute walk after daily intake of a cocoa drink for 6 months (15 g of cocoa, to be exact).
In view of these studies we can say that cocoa consumption can improve general cognition and memory by modulating cerebral blood flow and other physiological parameters. There are plenty of reasons to think that its consumption could improve the quality of life of the elderly population.
This article was originally published on The Conversation.
#food #helps #age #slowly
