Chocolate Consumption and Improved Brain Performance in University Performance - Research Paper Example

Chocolate consumption and improved brain performance in university performance Background of the project Cognitive decline is a big health problem especially among the ageing. As people get old, their cognitive ability reduces. People start experiencing problems such as memory loss, low reasoning capability and reduced brain performance. This is attributed to reduced blood to the brain and leads to widespread damage of the white matter. The decline in cognitive performance is also caused by neurodegenerative diseases that become more pronounced as one gets old. Medical experts assert that as one gets old, a number of changes occur in their brain. They include a reduction in regional brain volume, cortical thinning, loss of myelin integrity, and altered concentrations of brain metabolites, accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles and impaired acetylcholine, serotonin and dopamine receptor signaling and binding (Farley, Mclafferty & Hendry 2010, P.67). Collectively these changes in the brain result to various symptoms linked to ageing such decreased ability to remain focused on one issue, forgetfulness and reduced problem solving ability. Since cognitive decline is mainly dependent on age, doctors have not found a remedy to this problem since it is hard to stop one from ageing. This means that people suffering from cognitive decline have to live with the condition until their death. However, researchers have observed that cocoa-taking old people show improved brain performance. A study carried out by a team of researchers based on Boston reveal that old people who had a habit of drinking cocoa have a good memory and reason well (Watson, Preedy & Zibadi 2013, p.23). Following the discovery, the researchers decided to carry out a study on the effect of chocolate consumption on brain performance. They recruited 60 elderly individuals and exposed them to chocolate drinking. After 30 days, they found out that drinking chocolate improved cognitive ability of the elderly. The researchers hypothesized that the improved brain performance was due to the antioxidant flavanol present in cocoa which is associated with better blood vessel and brain functioning. However, when they exposed the participants to chocolate drinks with varying levels of flavanol, there was no difference between the participants who drank flavanol-rich chocolate and the ones who drank the flavanol-poor chocolate (Kanarek & Lieberman 2011, p.45). The project is therefore meant to determine whether the same findings can obtained among those people eating chocolate bars. However, an additional element was added to this study which is playing lumosity brain training game 2 times per week for each group. Aim To determine whether chocolate consumption improves brain performance Hypothesis Chocolate consumption leads to improved brain performance Methods In this study, there four groups were formed and each group comprised of 20 individuals. Each group was subjected to different kinds of treatment. For instance, group 1 was did not eat any chocolate but played lumosity brain training game 2 times per week, Group 2 ate 20g of chocolate each day and played lumosity brain training game 2 times per week, group 3 ate no chocolate but played lumosity brain training game every day while group 4 ate 20g of chocolate each day for 20 days and played lumosity brain training game every day. The data on brain performance was collected using a number of methods. For instance, data on memory was collected using recall method and recognition tests. Brain speed, on the other hand, was measured using reaction-time experiment. Attention was measured using the mental control subtest. These and other cognitive tests were used to come up with the data that was used to get the brain performance index. The parameters that were collected for the study are brain speed, memory, attention, brain flexibility and problem solving capability. The ability of individuals in these parameters was measured using scales and the scores recorded. Results Group 3 Brain Performance Index (BPI) Participants Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10 Day 11 Day 12 Day 13 Day 14 Day 15 Day 16 Day 17 Day 18 Day 19 Day 20 1 551 646 593 575 535 563 663 681 688 695 709 726 753 758 788 817 856 909 939 967 2 430 440 443 432 428 419 423 437 448 450 460 465 493 467 567 481 484 465 455 430 3 469 481 482 416 403 387 396 429 398 456 419 443 499 500 413 465 515 439 434 520 4 661 677 704 744 744 752 761 742 767 767 775 775 775 848 887 925 940 961 982 982 5 592 716 687 643 590 590 487 494 497 523 568 607 628 636 644 642 633 714 714 736 6 472 481 482 421 410 382 396 421 420 451 423 395 482 415 410 389 422 398 423 422 7 683 699 735 693 695 804 755 723 881 726 652 850 934 1010 1013 1035 743 760 931 963 8 486 559 577 562 531 527 567 596 630 635 710 721 778 846 863 878 877 891 922 933 9 540 522 487 470 457 524 562 587 606 607 678 688 694 709 722 739 774 808 845 864 10 1191 1198 1510 1258 1044 1216 1140 1136 1222 1171 1244 1251 1284 1284 1297 1297 1299 1301 1313 1319 11 633 648 601 562 528 604 701 717 756 795 800 859 12 312 292 293 319 341 360 374 412 423 436 446 461 463 483 505 573 577 582 582 579 13 499 529 719 838 937 1043 1042 1067 1077 1083 1088 1092 1089 1093 1104 1109 1112 1108 1115 1117 14 831 897 840 783 716 743 766 766 812 819 869 905 938 940 938 942 947 957 990 1001 15 470 521 459 428 429 454 519 534 536 535 612 615 655 671 708 708 728 748 775 788 16 623 760 687 660 660 675 700 711 731 735 810 813 828 854 855 854 871 919 937 965 17 648 799 720 685 610 637 664 670 669 674 738 739 776 827 837 857 872 934 991 1013 18 518 619 556 518 481 536 595 713 744 799 845 886 863 884 901 952 982 1028 1032 1052 19 301 359 311 303 306 321 352 367 381 395 434 448 452 457 472 478 499 505 525 528 20 498 460 407 438 498 500 498 458 458 539 589 627 682 682 21 352 337 375 371 336 349 409 427 436 435 507 514 548 565 571 616 622 638 648 664 Average 563 602 608 583 561 582 601 624 643 647 687 709 723 735 763 767 771 785 812 826 Table 1 Group 4 Brain Performance Index Participants Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10 Day 11 Day 12 Day 13 Day 14 Day 15 Day 16 Day 17 Day 18 Day 19 Day 20 1 910 929 1019 1038 1037 1043 1042 1067 1077 1083 1084 1085 1093 1107 1115 1114 1120 1120 1121 2 431 525 459 437 404 413 445 448 454 455 511 526 549 561 560 565 567 619 628 650 3 638 693 620 609 550 620 657 683 681 687 737 758 779 811 809 819 830 858 879 4 461 523 532 497 450 503 526 583 603 537 621 671 677 694 705 707 710 712 716 741 5 682 666 640 619 560 586 655 663 668 671 708 734 752 776 774 798 812 880 897 910 6 390 536 532 505 482 617 617 631 640 651 679 694 7 623 643 797 859 893 901 931 946 966 969 974 970 979 987 983 990 992 993 1003 8 802 853 745 703 667 744 779 798 839 842 913 927 934 951 974 975 988 9 317 371 356 363 375 368 406 441 448 466 431 499 496 580 594 598 614 639 657 663 10 234 245 246 254 226 240 11 779 861 789 746 728 768 828 835 857 872 948 950 974 975 984 992 1000 1052 1057 1084 12 398 345 414 414 344 344 344 344 442 435 435 446 446 446 468 468 506 533 533 13 489 686 600 572 530 591 629 653 657 668 716 717 718 739 770 777 802 844 867 868 14 631 550 540 526 552 623 663 704 718 747 790 804 826 831 837 867 952 969 986 999 15 610 710 697 700 662 667 698 707 714 715 769 789 809 854 861 860 861 902 912 926 16 774 719 689 591 647 764 794 830 828 905 908 958 965 967 970 986 1050 1095 1105 1106 17 562 690 580 580 545 540 548 551 592 590 623 631 649 600 607 686 687 701 737 744 18 909 938 929 930 982 929 933 938 947 947 944 976 987 992 997 1019 1047 1051 1058 1060 Average 611 636 635 626 621 614 621 691 662 700 749 775 738 800 799 781 823 868 881 845 Table 2 The two tables show the results of two groups exposed to two different treatments. Table 1 presents results for group 3 which took part in the brain training game daily but did not eat chocolate. Table 2, on the other hand, shows the results of group 4 which ate chocolate and also took part in the brain training game each day for the 20 days. An average value for all the participants was calculated to show how their brains performed each day. From the table 1, it can be seen that at the start of the experiment, the participants maintained the same level of brain performance. From day 1 to day 7, there was not much change in brain performance as the average brain performance index revolved around 600. However, from day 8 onwards, the brain performance index increased steadily as the experiment progressed. This is seen in the steady increase of the brain performance index from day 8 to day 20. For table 2, which showed the brain performance of group 4, there was no definite pattern of brain performance as the day progressed. This is seen in the inconsistent pattern of the brain performance index values. However, there was a transition in the values as the experiment progressed. For instance, in the first 9 days of the experiment, the average brain performance index of the participants ranged from 600 to 700. After the 9th day, the brain performance improved and the next 7 days, the average brain performance index ranged from 700 to 800. In the last four days of the experiment, the average brain performance index ranged from 800 to 900. Statistical analysis The data obtained in this study shows an irregular pattern in the first few days. However, with the number of days increasing, there is a consistent increase in the brain performance index. The brain performance index rises steadily because the variables under study have started having an effect on the brain performance. For instance, at the start of the brain training game, it is observed that the BPI in relatively constant. However, as the participants mastered the game, their brain performance increased. Discussion and analysis From the experiment, it is realized that although chocolate consumption may account for increase in brain performance, other factors such as brain training games also play a role in increasing brain performance. From the results, it is hard to determine whether chocolate consumption played a role increasing brain performance among participants because of the having two independent variables that could both affect the dependent variable (Fernandez, Goldberg & Michelon 2013, P.89). In addition, the results from obtained in group 3 where there was no consumption of chocolate provides the likelihood that chocolate consumption does not have an effect on brain performance. This is because, although this group did not consume chocolate, its brain performance index improved when the participants engaged in the brain training game. Having group 4 also playing the brain training game apart of consuming chocolate makes it hard to determine which variable between the two affected brain performance among the participants. Brain training games are normally designed to help individuals improve their memory as well as increase their attention span (Kanarek & Lieberman 2011, p.75). Having participants therefore engaging in these games makes it likely that it was the game and not chocolate consumption that improved the brain performance among participants. There are a number of shortcomings in the project that could have made it hard to come up with concrete conclusions. One of them is the use of two independent variables in testing on dependent variable. Exposing the participants to brain training game while trying to determine the effect of chocolate consumption on the brain performance was wrong. This is because brain performance can also be enhanced through playing of such games (Klingberg 2013, P.83). Another shortcoming was failure to collect data from some participants. Some participants failed to participate in the experiment on a few occasions. This made it hard to get consistent results from the experiment because of the different levels of brain performance among the different participants. This affected the average values obtained at the end of the experiments. Conclusion Although it is believed that chocolate consumption can increase brain performance among individuals, experiments carried out show that this might not be the case because of the presence of other factors that affect brain performance. One of them is the brain training game which is also show to have the ability to improve brain performance. Increase in the brain performance among individuals who consumed flanavol-free chocolate also support the idea that consumption of chocolate might not have any effect on brain performance. However, there is need for more specific experiments to determine this. Bibliography Farley, A., Mclafferty, E., & Hendry, C. (2010). The physiological effects of ageing. Oxford, Wiley-Blackwell. Fernandez, A., Goldberg, E., & Michelon, P. (2013). The Sharpbrains guide to brain fitness: how to optimize brain health and performance at any age. [San Francisco, Calif.], Sharpbrains, Inc. Kanarek, R.B. & Lieberman, H.R. (2011). Diet, brain, behavior: Practical implications. Boca Raton, CRC Press Kennedy, D. O. (2014). Plants and the human brain. New York, Oxford University Press. Klingberg, T. (2013). The learning brain: memory and brain development in children. Oxford, Oxford University Press. Watson, R. R., Preedy, V. R., & Zibadi, S. (2013). Chocolate in health and nutrition. New York, Humana Press Read More