In case you didn't know I adore chocolate so I will look for any excuse to eat more of it. I found this interesting article in the Daily Mail. Although it's stated, this article is a bit tongue in cheek, there are good reasons to eat chocolate, dark chocolate is especially high in iron and it's rich in flavonoids, which we know are antioxidants and fight free radicals and we all know how chocolate makes us feel good.
Does eating chocolate make you clever?
It seems that might well be the case after scientists in New York found the higher a country's chocolate consumption, the more Nobel laureates it spawns.
The new research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, is tongue-in-cheek, admits the lead author Dr. Franz Messerli.
But nonetheless, the results did show a surprisingly powerful scientific correlation between the amount of chocolate consumed in each country and the number of Nobel laureates it produced, he wrote in the journal.
The Swiss, naturally, take the lead, with the Swedes and Danes following closely behind. The UK was above average in the table (see below).
Dr Messerli, a Swiss doctor now working at Columbia University in New York, told Reuters Health: ‘I started plotting this in a hotel room, because I had nothing else to do, and I could not believe my eyes.
'All the countries lined up neatly on a graph, with higher chocolate intake tied to more laureates.'
It’s thought that eating chocolate might improve our ability to think as it is high in antioxidants known as flavonoids, which are also found in cocoa, green tea, red wine and some fruits.
Studies have suggested that flavonoids may improve thinking and reduce the risk of dementia by increasing the blood flow to the brain.
Dr Messerli wrote in the journal: ‘Since chocolate consumption has been documented to improve cognitive function, it seems most likely that in a dose-dependent way, chocolate intake provides the abundant fertile ground needed for the sprouting of Nobel laureates.’
When it comes to chocolate, several other researchers have suggested dark varieties might benefit the brain, the heart and even help cut excess pounds.
But to produce just one more laureate, the nation would have to up its cocoa intake by a whopping 275 million pounds a year, Dr Messerli added.
He estimates that every citizen would have to eat 400 grams of chocolate a year to increase the number of Nobel laureates in a given country by one per million inhabitants, if the correlation holds true.
And in the 'conflict of interest section' of his article, Dr Messerli does admit to daily chocolate consumption. Despite the tongue-in-cheek tone of the research, he added that he does believe chocolate has real health effects, although he warns people to stay away from the sweeter varieties and opt for dark.
Does eating chocolate make you clever? New research suggests it may help you win a Nobel prize, at least...
- US research suggests the higher a country's chocolate consumption, the more Nobel laureates it spawns
- The Swiss take the lead, with the Swedes and Danes following closely behind. The UK was above average
- Researcher admits research is tongue-in-cheek, but maintains findings are scientifically sound
The higher a country's chocolate consumption, the more Nobel laureates it spawns, new research suggests
It seems that might well be the case after scientists in New York found the higher a country's chocolate consumption, the more Nobel laureates it spawns.
The new research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, is tongue-in-cheek, admits the lead author Dr. Franz Messerli.
But nonetheless, the results did show a surprisingly powerful scientific correlation between the amount of chocolate consumed in each country and the number of Nobel laureates it produced, he wrote in the journal.
The Swiss, naturally, take the lead, with the Swedes and Danes following closely behind. The UK was above average in the table (see below).
Dr Messerli, a Swiss doctor now working at Columbia University in New York, told Reuters Health: ‘I started plotting this in a hotel room, because I had nothing else to do, and I could not believe my eyes.
'All the countries lined up neatly on a graph, with higher chocolate intake tied to more laureates.'
It’s thought that eating chocolate might improve our ability to think as it is high in antioxidants known as flavonoids, which are also found in cocoa, green tea, red wine and some fruits.
Studies have suggested that flavonoids may improve thinking and reduce the risk of dementia by increasing the blood flow to the brain.
Dr Messerli wrote in the journal: ‘Since chocolate consumption has been documented to improve cognitive function, it seems most likely that in a dose-dependent way, chocolate intake provides the abundant fertile ground needed for the sprouting of Nobel laureates.’
The Swiss, naturally, take the lead, with the Swedes and Danes following closely behind. The UK was above average in the table
But to produce just one more laureate, the nation would have to up its cocoa intake by a whopping 275 million pounds a year, Dr Messerli added.
He estimates that every citizen would have to eat 400 grams of chocolate a year to increase the number of Nobel laureates in a given country by one per million inhabitants, if the correlation holds true.
And in the 'conflict of interest section' of his article, Dr Messerli does admit to daily chocolate consumption. Despite the tongue-in-cheek tone of the research, he added that he does believe chocolate has real health effects, although he warns people to stay away from the sweeter varieties and opt for dark.
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