Hot Chocolate Can Prevent Dementia

A recent study of a group of individuals over the age of 70 has suggested that drinking two cups of hot chocolate each day may improve your brain's memory skills. The Harvard Medical School study showed that drinking two cups of hot chocolate for thirty days resulted in improved blood flow to the brain. The participants in the study showed an average increase in blood flow of about 8 percent by the end of the study. This translated to a substantial decrease in the time necessary for the individuals to perform certain memory tests from an average of 167 seconds to 116 seconds.

While the researchers and others who have seen the research have cautioned that the results of the study are still preliminary and that further research is necessary involving control groups, it seems to me drinking a couple of cups of hot chocolate a day may well worth doing. Who knows, maybe those cups may help you find those keys or eyeglasses you are misplacing or maybe even help you to  avoid dementia or the mental decline everyone is worried about as they age. Let me know what you think.

The study was performed by Dr. Farzaneh Sorond, an assistant professor at the Harvard Medical School.  For a more complete discussion of this study and comments from the Alzheimer's Association, see http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2386257/Drinking-hot-chocolate-prevent-ALZHEIMERS-boosting-blood-flow-brain.html

How Exercise Can Improve Memory in Boomers

In a recent study published in the Journal of Aging Research, scientists at the University of British Columbia reported that exercise can boost memory and cognitive skills in older adults.  The study involved several dozen women between the ages of 70 and 80.  Some of the women were given weight training while others were given aerobic training, walking.  The researchers found that both groups improved spatial memory at about an equal amount after a six month period.  However, those who walked regularly had greater improvement in verbal memory. The researchers concluded that different types of exercise had effects upon different parts of the brain.

What exercise is best to improve brain functioning? The answer is obvious:  do both aerobic and resistance training to achieve maximum results.

Boost The Brain's Power Through Tai Chi

We all have heard those horror stories about losing the brain's cells at an early age and how that can effect our memory and cognitive skills. . Now there is something you can do about it.  And it does not involve buying expensive equipment or spending lots of money on supplements.  The answer?  Why, tai chi, of course.

In the June 19, 2012 edition of the  Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, a team of researchers from China's Shanghai Fudan University and the University of South Florida, reported on an eight month study they conducted of Chinese seniors who practiced the art of tai chi at least three times a week. They found that comparing those individuals with those who did not practice tai chi, those who did practice it had increased brain volume.  In turn, that resulted in improvements in both memory and cognitive function.

So, if you are having trouble remembering where you put the car keys, try tai chi.  Who knows, you might even find the keys. Let me know if it seems to work for you.