Benefits of flavanol-rich cocoa-derived products for mental well-being: A review

Abstract This review explores the possibility that central actions of flavanol-rich cocoa-derived products are of benefit in the prevention and treatment of mood disorders. Flavanol-rich cocao-derived products have been studied in both neuromolecular and psychological tests. Neuromolecular effects of flavanols in cocoa-derived products include antioxidant, vasodilatory, anticoagulant, and antiinflammatory properties that may serve to counteract depressive brain disorders. Psychological studies in humans have described links between intake of flavanol-rich cocoa-derived products such as dark chocolate and improved mood, while behavioral studies in laboratory animals have reported antidepressant effects of flavanols. It is therefore likely that flavanol-rich cocoa-derived products such as dark chocolate may have beneficial effects as add-on items together with traditional antidepressant regimes.

• Publication year

  2013

• Venue

  Journal of Functional Foods

• Publication date

  Unknown publication date

• Fields of study

  Agricultural and Food Sciences, Medicine

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1016/J.JFF.2012.09.002
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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