ONCE IN A BLUE MOON

This Friday 31st August is a Blue Moon

Astrological effects of a Blue Moon

When there are two consecutive Moons in the same sign, the second Full Moon will always be in the last couple of degrees in the sign. This alone is significant, since the last degree of any sign is a critical degree. When any planet is 29 degrees "and change" it is in a process of transition from one sign to the next. It is neither officially in the next sign, nor fully present in the one it's leaving. This can be a frustrating energy, full of anticipation and yearning to get on with it in the new sign, yet held back by unfinished business and the need to do closure in the old sign. It's a bit like walking and being in mid-stride – you haven't landed on your stepping foot yet, and your pushing-off foot is still in mid-push. You're moving, but you're in a kind of suspended motion in between steps.

By the same token, the first of two Full Moons in the same sign will always be in the earliest couple of degrees in that sign. This is also significant, since these early degrees are initiatory energy, especially the first degree of any sign. It`s like a newborn babe – innocent and pure; full of potential and bellowing its arrival at the top of its lungs! So this double Moon phenomenon is like getting the alpha and omega of that sign's energy - the burst of new energy and the closure of that energy.

Some astrologers feel that two Full Moons in the same calendar month (i.e. the popular definition of Blue Moon) make that month extra intense. 

Lunar phase on 31 August 2012 Friday is Full Moon.
The moon is in zodiac sign Pisces . So it would seem Pisceans are going to be affected most. 

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Article below from the Daily Mail

Like to do things once in a blue moon? Now's your chance, as rare calendar phenomenon occurs on Friday

If you only call your mother or have a drink with people after work once in a blue moon, prepare to clear your schedule.

For 'once in a blue moon' is not just an idiom, but a rare statistical quirk which occurs when a full moon occurs twice in a calendar month.

Sadly, the moon is not going to turn blue, and indeed the reason why we call it a 'blue moon' is lost to history, although the Farmers' Almanac would always note an occurrence during the 18th century.

Regardless, this Friday, August 31, will be the first 'blue moon' in a while (the last one was in March 2010) and there will not be another one again until July 2015 - so consider this a two day warning.

Once om a blue moon: Sadly, this is a colour-filtered image and not what we expect to see in the skies overhead on Friday

NEVER ALONE WITH A SONG TO SING

From Elvis to Ella Fitzgerald, one of the classic popular songs for love-lorn people is 'Blue Moon'.
The 1934 song relates the tale of a man who finally found the love of his life - something that was so unexpected for him that it must have happened under a blue moon...

Blue Moon
You saw me standing alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own
Blue Moon
You know just what I was there for
You heard me saying a prayer for
Someone I really could care for

And then there suddenly appeared before me
The only one my arms will hold
I heard somebody whisper please adore me
And when I looked to the Moon it turned to gold

Blue Moon
Now I'm no longer alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own

With a full moon occurring once every 29 days, and a month topping out with a maximum of 31 days, the combination is a rare one - occurring around once every two-and-a-half years.

Sadly, we cannot expect the moon to take on a different hue. Barring volcanic eruption, it will remain as white as ever, unless clouds obscure the view.

If a volcano does erupt, then all bets are off, as ash in the sky has been known to play visual tricks with the sun and the moon.

When Krakatoa erupted in Indonesia in 1883 - where ash soared right into the upper echelons of the atmosphere, blue moons were reported around the world, for up to two years.

Krakatoa's ash is the reason. Some of the ash-clouds were filled with particles about 1 micron (one millionth of a meter) wide - the right size to strongly scatter red light, while allowing other colors to pass.

White moonbeams shining through the clouds emerged blue, and sometimes green.

Blue moons persisted for years after the eruption. People also saw lavender suns and, for the first time, noctilucent clouds.

The ash caused 'such vivid red sunsets that fire engines were called out in New York, Poughkeepsie, and New Haven to quench the apparent conflagration,' according to volcanologist Scott Rowland at the University of Hawaii.

Other less potent volcanos have turned the moon blue, too. People saw blue moons in 1983, for instance, after the eruption of the El Chichon volcano in Mexico. And there are reports of blue moons caused by Mt. St. Helens in 1980 and Mount Pinatubo in 1991.

A minor eruption at Mount Krakatoa: The 1883 explosion effectively blew the volcano to pieces - and caused a blue moon

According to Nasa, The key to a blue moon is having in the air lots of particles slightly wider than the wavelength of red light (0.7 micron) - and no other sizes present. This is rare, but volcanoes sometimes spit out such clouds, as do forest fires.

Physics professor Sue Ann Bowling of the University of Alaska said: 'On September 23, 1950, several muskeg fires that had been quietly smoldering for several years in Alberta suddenly blew up into major - and very smoky - fires.'

'Winds carried the smoke eastward and southward with unusual speed, and the conditions of the fire produced large quantities of oily droplets of just the right size (about 1 micron in diameter) to scatter red and yellow light.

'Wherever the smoke cleared enough so that the sun was visible, it was lavender or blue.

'Ontario and much of the east coast of the U.S. were affected by the following day, but the smoke kept going. Two days later, observers in England reported an indigo sun in smoke-dimmed skies, followed by an equally blue moon that evening.'

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MARMITE WONDER FOOD RESEARCH HAS SHOWN IT IS USEFUL IN THE FIGHT AGAINST MRSA

I have been singing the praises of Marmite for years and as well as the benefits, to your nervous system and skin and nails, not to mention B12's involvement in manufacturing red blood cells, it has been shown to help beat MRSA. 

I know it can be a bit salty but you are only meant to spread it thinly on toast and sandwiches, a little goes a long way. It can also be added to soups, stews and casseroles as seasoning and it can be added to hot water to make a savoury hot drink. 

The article below is from the Daily Mail. This is another good reason to eat this wonderful product

Love it or hate it, Marmite could help doctors beat the MRSA superbug with its high dose of vitamin B3

You either love it or you hate it, according to the slogan.
And if you are a Marmite fan, the good news is that one of its main ingredients may fight superbugs.
A study found that at very high doses, vitamin B3, also known as niacin, drastically increases the body’s ability to fight the MRSA bacterium, which can cause life-threatening infections if it enters the bloodstream via wounds.

Marmite contains niacin. Super doses of the vitamin could kill superbugs including MRSA

US researchers believe the ingredient – which is also found in beer, bread and other foods containing yeast – could be used to develop new drugs.
Researchers carried out a number of experiments on both rats and human blood, the results of which were published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.


Overall they found that high doses of vitamin B3 increased the number of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell that kills bacteria.

Adrian Gombart, of Oregon State University, said: ‘This is potentially very significant, although we still need to do human studies. It’s a way to tap into the power of the innate immune system and stimulate it to provide a more powerful and natural response.’
But the scientists urged caution, as the research used extremely high doses of the vitamin – far more than is in Marmite or vitamin supplements.
Co-author Dr George Liu, also from Oregon State University, said: 'This vitamin is surprisingly effective in fighting off and protecting against one of today's most concerning public health threats.'

Dr Gombart stressed that so far there was no evidence to suggest normal diets or conventional-strength B3 supplements could help prevent or treat bacterial infections.
Ten years ago he discovered a human genetic mutation that makes people more vulnerable to bacterial infections.
Further work showed that niacin has the ability to "turn on" anti-microbial genes that help the immune system fight off bacteria.

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EMOTIONAL/PSYCHIC VAMPIRES

I refer to these type of friends as psychic vampires owing to the fact they do drain energy from you. Which leads me on to Psychic Protection. The story below (Emotional Vampires) is from the Daily Mail. This is my way to protect yourself from energy draining by protecting yourself psychically.

WHY DO WE NEED PSYCHIC PROTECTION?

Why do we need psychic protection? well overtime we think and create many thoughts, each becomes a thought form, it is in effect an energy. Think about how many thoughts you have in a day, thousands, some of those are positive and that is great, however some of those are negative and all those thoughts we send out into the cosmos. Now these thoughts being energy can become tangible and manifest. It is by the power of thought healers use for distant healing. Remember energy is power and it can be used for good or evil. We may not realise we are doing this but when you think negatively of someone that energy is going somewhere and its generally to the person concerned. These negative thoughts in time can attack and often the symptoms may be headaches, feeling low, lacking energy.

I'll give you another example how many of you have a friend who comes to visit and likes unburdening their worries and troubles on to you. They feel great for getting all their thoughts of their chest but it often renders you tired and exhausted. This is because they have left all their negative energy on to you.

So what can we do to prevent this? Well we can use the same process, thought, to protect ourselves from negative energy, psychic attack.

SIMPLE PROTECTION 

 

These are some of the simple methods below

Strengthening the Aura.

Cleansing with aroma, (any light scent will do that you like) first inhale the scent in cupped hands, then sweep over the body and down to the ground. It is possible to obtain special preparations for this, but any light scented perfume will do, and even better if you particularly like it! 

 

Cleansing the Chakra's also helps to protect. Imagine that you are surrounded by a bubble of light, and that nothing can penetrate it unless you wish it to! Extend this to family and especially CAR. In difficult situations, crystallize the outside of the bubble for extra protection! Use crystals for protection (double terminators & quartz)

Protective mirrors in bad attacks.
If you know what direction the harm is coming from, place a small mirror in your window facing that direction saying:-
"Mirror bright-mirror clear protect from harm all who bide here"

Instead of the bubble exercise you may use a hooded, floor length cloak or a shield decorated with a protective design of your choice. The shield idea is versatile as you can use a ‘mini shield’ over any area you feel vulnerable, such as your solar plexus.

If you shower in the morning visualise the water flowing through your energy field carrying away any negativity down the plughole with it. If you prefer a bath you may add sea or rock salt to the water- about a cupful- dissolve it well. Salt has long been renowned for its cleansing properties.

Visualise a shower of light running through your aura and dissolving any negativity.

Stay grounded. Visualise roots growing deep down into the Earth from the soles of your feet. Being ‘well grounded’ offers a great deal of protection. Practice your grounding visualisation every morning and whenever you feel ‘spacey’. Carry hematite or another grounding stone with you if necessary.

Which of your friends is an emotional vampire?

Selfish, controlling, paranoid - and they'll drain the life out of you

You’d probably describe the majority of your friends as kind and supportive people who make you feel happy. But if you’re anything like the rest of us, you’ll also have a few you might call friends, but actually make you feel quite the opposite.
You can’t necessarily spell out why, but somehow you always come away from their company feeling anxious, paranoid or as if you’ve given a lot of yourself and they’ve given nothing in return. You feel as if you’ve been bled dry. Why? Because your friend is an emotional vampire.
That’s the name that Albert J. Bernstein, the clinical psychologist, gives to people who appear bright, talented or charismatic on the surface, but who, once they’ve won you over, drain your emotional energy.

Friend or foe? Clinical psychologist Albert Bernstein calls friends who sap your emotional energy emotional vampires

In an exclusive adaptation from his new book, we show you how to spot four types of emotional vampire, and how to defend yourself against them.

CONTROL FREAK VAMPIRES

HOW TO RECOGNISE THEM: This type of vampire is always immaculately dressed and ridiculously organised. There’s no such thing as a simple decision with them; the positives and negatives of every option have to be weighed up and analysed, but once the decision is made, it’s made, and there’s no changing their mind.
HOW THEY LURE YOU IN: Control freaks can be loyal friends. If they’ve promised you something, you can be sure they’ll deliver. Their attention to detail can be irritating, but it’s frequently something that will save you time and money.

THREE'S NO CROWD

While most adults have up to 22 'mates', most feel they can only rely on three of them, researchers found

 

HOW THEY DRAIN YOU: They’re perfectionists with a clear moral code and expect other people to behave in the same way — if you don’t, their disappointment is apparent. Though they’d never intentionally hurt anyone, anything that threatens their sense of being in charge will prompt what can be a hurtful reaction.
You might think you’ve been thoughtful by picking a restaurant for dinner, but the control freak will make you feel as if you’ve picked the wrong one and taken over, purely because she didn’t have the chance to research all the options first.
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF: For all their flaws, the world would fall apart without control freaks — they’re the ones who get things done, so in a lot of ways it’s easier to let them get on with it. Accept that you will never do things as well as they would have, but always tell them when they’ve upset you. Because they see things in black and white, if you can tell them why you’re hurt, and explain how to avoid the same situation in the future, they can learn from this.

PARANOID VAMPIRES

HOW TO RECOGNISE THEM: Quick to take offence, and with the ability to hold a grudge for an inordinate amount of time, the paranoid vampire can make a mountain out of even the smallest molehill. Things never just happen to them, in their eyes they’ve always been picked on. With the paranoid, everything is personal and nothing is taken at face value. Tell them you like their dress and they’ll read that as you don’t like their shoes.
HOW THEY LURE YOU IN: While they can be suspicious of almost everything, paranoids are fiercely protective of their family and of one or two close friends. Their penchant for saying to people’s faces what the rest of us would only say behind their backs can be uncomfortable, but it’s actually quite refreshing sometimes.
HOW THEY DRAIN YOU: Paranoids abide by concrete rules they believe everyone else should live by, too. Their eyes are peeled for any evidence of transgressions, and they’ll usually find it.
They’re incapable of forgiving and forgetting — if you once told them in passing that your husband cheated on his first girlfriend, they’ll always believe he’s a serial adulterer and will look for anything that confirms this. They’re also jaw-droppingly honest, so never ask for their opinion unless you’re prepared for the brutal truth.
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF: If you have anything to hide at all, a paranoid will find it. The only way you can protect yourself is by being scrupulously honest with them — even the tiniest of white lies will prove their theory that you’ve been deceiving them all along.
But crucially, don’t get bound up in their paranoia, otherwise, after an evening spent solely in their company, it’s all too easy to become convinced that your husband really is cheating when he’s doing nothing of the sort.

Infectious: 'Friends' called paranoid vampires can be suspicious of almost anything

PARTY VAMPIRES

HOW TO RECOGNISE THEM: They are always the ones who want to drink more, stay up later and go that step further than everyone else. They’re impulsive, happy-go-lucky types who have no qualms about lying to get what they want.
HOW THEY LURE YOU IN: They’re charming, good company and fun. They are who you’d like to be if you didn’t have responsibilities or a conscience.
They say the things you think, but would never dare say, and have an aura of cool that makes you feel special if you’re picked to spend time with them.
HOW THEY DRAIN YOU: They’re only there for the good times. You might think you’ve got plans together, but if a more exciting prospect comes along, you’ll be ditched.
While a party vampire will get the evening started, don’t expect her to help clear up — or foot the bill.
They can be financially irresponsible, goad you into doing things you didn’t really want to do, and their child-like approach to life means they don’t want to hear about your problems — if you’re not in the mood for socialising, you’re of no interest.
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF: Enjoy the good times, but don’t expect anything more. Don’t get drawn into doing anything you feel uncomfortable doing, and for goodness sake, hide your wallet.

ME, ME, ME VAMPIRES

HOW TO RECOGNISE THEM: While they’re undoubtedly very successful people, the me, me, me vampire not only knows this, but is at great pains to make sure you know this, too.
Within minutes of meeting them, you’ll be all too aware of their achievements and probably of where they live — and knowing the right people is very important to them.
HOW THEY LURE YOU IN: They try hard to impress, so you can easily think you’re important to them.
They can be incredibly charismatic. Some of the most successful people in the world are me, me, me vampires.
They genuinely are talented individuals and it’s easy to admire them from afar. It’s not until we’re close up that we realise how inconsiderate they really are.
HOW THEY DRAIN YOU: If they’re not talking about themselves, they’re probably not going to be interested in the conversation.
The only way you’re of interest to them is if you can massage their ego, make them look good or help them achieve their next goal.
They might feign empathy when they want something, which is why they make great politicians. But they lack genuine warmth.
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF: If you want anything from them, strike a bargain where they get something, but only when they’ve done what you want. Their self-interest is the only thing that motivates them.

• Emotional Vampires:  Dealing With People Who Drain You Dry by Albert J. Bernstein (McGraw-Hill, £12.99).

Maggie Brown (Author)

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LIFE IS NO BED OF ROSES

I don't normally post my poetry on this site but post poetry and excerpts of my book on my other sites but since there is an inspirational message here I thought I would post it here. Indeed it is true life is no bed of roses, life is fraught will challenges, but remember Earth is our classroom and is the reason why we are incarnated on Earth, to learn and become better people. We will make mistakes and that is fine for that is how we learn and hopefully we won't repeat them. We will have difficult times in life, there's no escaping this but we WILL overcome and get through them and there will always be help at hand, sometimes from unlikely sources and remember bad times don't go on forever, they will come to an end.

LIFE IS NO BED OF ROSES

Life is no bed of roses whoever said it would be?

We alone set challenges as we learn through adversity

We make our own destiny so we can learn

So no point in wishing our life away, rewards we have to earn

It's ok to make mistakes as long as long as we realise and make amends

Though this is quite a complicated scenario to comprehend

But we plan and make our own destiny, no one else is to blame

And we are all at different stages of learning, we're not all the same

We all have different roles to play in each life time

Some are difficult and others are just fine

For fate works in cycles, retribution and compensation

Each role is to experience each others situation

We have to make the best of what we are given

But rest assured, help is at hand to help us with living

Remember the power of positive thinking, we can achieve what we thought impossible

But believing wholeheartedly can happen and truly be credible

Doubt is a seed that will spread and grow

So don't let that seed in to your mind sow

The power of thought is how the Universe operates

So keep believing in what you can create

For then watch change happen to your soul

Then your soul will be enriched and will blossom and grow

MPB © 

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ANTIBIOTICS LINKS TO OBESITY FROM FARMERS FATTENING UP LIVESTOCK

Article from the Daily Mail Below and something that annoys me, the overuse of Antibiotics. At least doctors in the UK have tightened up their prescribing of antibiotics. Antibiotics are marvellous drugs and have saved countless lives, trouble is they are over used and in the story below given to animals to fatten them up, this is so wrong. Think about it, if you eat the meat from animals given antibiotics it stands to reason you will be ingesting the very same, overuse of antibiotics leads to sensitivity. I'm not saying animals shouldn't receive antibiotics is they are ill, if they are genuinely ill with a bacterial illness they of course they should be treated but not consumed until that antibiotic has left their system. I am not advocating  becoming a vegetarian either, but I do think we should chose our supplier carefully and eat organically raised animals. I am glad to see that the EU has banned this practice. 

Many pharmacies worldwide (NOT the UK) sell antibiotics to the public I believe this is so wrong and should only be prescribed by a doctor as too many people ingest these when more often than not they have a viral illness, in which case antibiotics will have no effect as they only have an effect on bacteria. Many others do not finish their course of treatment too, this then merely weakens the bacteria instead of eradicating it and gives the bacteria a chance to overcome the antibiotic and develop new strains that are unaffected by bacteria which has led to the massive problems we have today with MRSA. 

When I was a young nurse and had to give a patient an antibiotic injection we had to 'gown up' wear masks and gloves when drawing up the antibiotic into the syringe to prevent sensitivity as minute droplets could enter the atmosphere when expelling air from the hypodermic syringe. We treated antibiotics with respect I don't believe this practice is still carried out today.

I do feel we should condemn this practice of giving antibiotics routinely to animals simply to plump up livestock and treat antibiotics with respect or there may come a time (and it's already happening) when we no longer have effective antibiotics at all. It should worry us all for do we want to go back to the time when a simple prick from a rose thorn could lead to septicaemia?

After reading the story below you might wish to consider this

http://www.quorn.co.uk/why-quorn/

'Farmers behind fat epidemic': Study finds links between obesity and antibiotics used to plump up livestock

• Farmers have used non-therapeutic doses to increase weight of cows and pigs
• Exposure to medicine may impair children's metabolic development

Farmers may have fuelled the obesity epidemic by fattening up livestock using antibiotics, a study has discovered.
Researchers found evidence that low exposure to the drugs upsets the delicate balance of gut bacteria which in turn alters metabolism.
The findings indicate a possible link between rising rates of obesity and modern farming methods.

EU farmers are banned from using antibiotics to fatten up their cows as a study shows that the drugs are linked with obesity levels

Since the 1950s, farmers have used low non-therapeutic doses of antibiotics to increase the body weight of cows, sheep, pigs and chickens.
The practice has sparked fears of spreading antibiotic resistance as the drugs get into the food chain, leading to a tightening of the rules.
Using antibiotics to fatten up farm animals is now banned in the EU but still allowed in the US and other countries.

The new research suggests antibiotic use on farms may pose other risks besides breeding resistant super bugs.

Exposure to the medicines may seriously impair the metabolic development of children

Exposure to the medicines may seriously impair the metabolic development of children, setting them up for a lifetime struggle with their weight.
As well as being exposed to antibiotics indirectly through the food chain, children are commonly given the drugs to treat minor ailments.
In the US, the average child now receives one antibiotic course per year.
'The rise of obesity around the world is coincident with widespread antibiotic use, and our studies provide an experimental linkage,' said lead researcher Professor Martin Blaser, from New York University School of Medicine in the US.
'It is possible that early exposure to antibiotics primes children for obesity later in life.'
The scientists administered common antibiotics such as penicillin and vancomycin to weaning mice at similar doses as those used in agriculture.
The treatment altered the composition of gut bacteria in the mice which in turn led to metabolic changes, such as increased production of fatty acids. After about six weeks the mice had gained about 10 per cent to 15 per cent more fat mass than untreated mice.
'By using antibiotics, we found we can actually manipulate the population of bacteria and alter how they metabolise certain nutrients,' said co-author Dr Ilseung Cho, also from New York University.
'Ultimately, we were able to affect body composition and development in young mice by changing their gut microbiome through this exposure.'
The findings are published today in the journal Nature.
Although it was known that antibiotics could fatten up animals, previously the mechanism involved was unclear.
Commenting on the results, British expert Professor Brendan Wren, form the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: 'The role of the composition of our gut microflora is increasingly recognised as being important and has been linked to inflammatory bowel disease, metabolic disorders, immunity and obesity.
'It has been considered as the forgotten super organ in humans, and it is only now through advances in genome sequencing that we can assess the composition of the complex population of microbes in the gut.
'Indiscriminate use of antibiotics for livestock (often used to fatten animals), not only promotes the spread of antibiotic resistance, but can get in our food chain and affect the homeostasis of our gut microflora.'
Dr Cormac Gahan, from University College Cork in the Irish Republic, said: 'These studies support an emerging body of evidence linking gut bacteria with the development of obesity.
'Other research has identified specific subgroups of gut bacteria that play a role in energy extraction from the diet and influence the production of hormones in the host.
'Disrupting this finely balanced ecosystem clearly has consequences for host metabolism and weight gain.'

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maggiebrownonline.com: PERHAPS ONE DAY

maggiebrownonline.com: PERHAPS ONE DAY

Over on my other blog maggiebrownonline.com

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OVER ON MY WRITING BLOG: ASTRIDESTELLA.ORG: FOR I AM YOUR WILLING CAPTIVE

ASTRIDESTELLA.ORG: FOR I AM YOUR WILLING CAPTIVE

Where you will find excerpts of my books and writing

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JUST WHAT WE LOVE TO HEAR---CHOCOLATE CAN STAVE OFF DEMENTIA

Further to the last post, I saw this too in the Daily Mail today, another great reason to indulge in chocolate.

Could chocolate stave off dementia? Daily dose could help keep condition at bay

• In tests consuming cocoa every day helped improve mild cognitive impairment in the elderly
• Chocolate contains flavanols – chemicals associated with a decreased dementia risk

A daily dose of chocolate could help keep dementia and Alzheimer's at bay, a study suggests.
Researchers found that consuming cocoa every day helped improve mild cognitive impairment – a condition involving memory loss which can progress to dementia or  Alzheimer's – in elderly patients.
For the study, 90 people aged 70 or older  diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment were split into three groups of 30 and given either a high, medium or low dose of a  cocoa drink daily.

Beneficial? Researchers found that eating chocolate regularly could reduce the risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer's

The drink contained flavanols – chemicals associated with a decreased dementia risk which are found in a variety of foods, including cocoa products such as dark chocolate.

The participants' diet was restricted to  eliminate other sources of flavanols, such as tea or red wine.
Their cognitive function was examined using tests of factors including working memory and processing speed. 
Researchers found those who drank the high and medium doses daily had significantly better cognitive scores by the end of the eight-week study in a number of categories, including working memory.

Research: 90 people aged 70 or older diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment were split into three groups of 30 and given either a high, medium or low dose of a cocoa drink daily

Those given the higher doses of the flavanol drink improved far more than those given the lowest dose, the study, published in the journal Hypertension, found.  
Insulin resistance and blood pressure also decreased in those drinking high and medium doses of the flavanol drink. 
Doctor Giovambattista Desideri of the  University of L'Aquila in Italy, lead author of the study, said: 'This study provides encouraging evidence that consuming cocoa flavanols, as  a part of a calorie-controlled and nutritionally-balanced diet, could improve cognitive function.

Researchers found those who drank the high and medium doses daily had significantly better cognitive scores by the end of the eight-week study in a number of categories, including working memory

'Larger studies are needed to validate the findings, figure out how long the positive effects will last and determine the levels of cocoa flavanols required for benefit.'
Dr Laura Phipps, of Alzheimer's Research UK, said: 'Cocoa-based treatments for brain  function would likely have patients queuing out the door, but this small study of flavanols is not yet conclusive.'

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