Does Chocolate Improve SAT Scores?

Now that every high school parent that reads this blog is paying attention.  The answer is yes…maybe. 

Before I discuss the possible improved brain function or how to get your child to count backward faster than his friend, let’s discuss another way we could stay alive to enjoy those SAT taking children by exploring the cardiovascular health effects of chocolate.

Effects of chocolate, cocoa, and flavan-3-ols on cardiovascular health: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials AmJCl Nut 2012;95:740-51.

Researchers from Norwich, UK, reviewed over 1600 studies with the assistance of researchers in Sydney, Australia, Harvard and Brigham and Women’s hospital in Boston, came up with 42 studies that met the criteria of a well done study.  These credible studies actually proved the beneficial effects of chocolate, primarily the bioflavonoid component found in chocolate.  

Evidence in these studies suggests that chocolate may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.  One reason may be a result of chocolate increasing blood flow by increasing vessel diameter.  In several studies, subjects had blood pressure decrease regardless of how much or how often they consumed the chocolate or cocoa.  Other studies showed insulin resistance due to decreases in serum insulin levels after eating chocolate or cacao.  This means that after eating chocolate your body can slow the update of sugar into your cells which can control fat production and stress on your blood vessels.

One study stood out above all.  In patients with a previous myocardial infarction (heart attack), eating chocolate twice a week when related to those that never ate chocolate had a 66% reduction in 8 year cardiac mortality (Janszky I. et al J Internal Med 2009;266:248-57).

How much is recommended and what kind of chocolate is better.  Researchers feel that dark chocolate 70% cocoa or more showed the most positive effects.   One serving a day equaling one ounce is the recommended amount.  However, studies did show that higher intake levels had a more protective effect.  Experts caution “everything in moderation”, so you could overdo it with calories. 

What about those SAT’s?  One study did show that a group of subjects that drank hot chocolate when compared to those that did not could count backwards faster.  They surmise that the chocolate increases blood flow to the brain. Those complex thinking SAT questions may be more easily mastered if your SAT taker eats a square of chocolate before tackling that math section.   I see a middle school science fair project in the making.