Related Episodes for What Cocoa Flavanols May Do for Circulation and Cognition

“A national survey analysis estimated 2.6% severe deficiency, 22% moderate deficiency, and 40.9% insufficiency among US adults, although prevalence changes with the threshold used. These categories should remain distinct because insufficiency is not the same as clinical deficiency.”

“A 12-month randomized controlled trial found that vitamin D supplementation improved cognitive function, intelligence quotient scores, telomere length, and lowered oxidative stress markers in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (compared to placebo), suggesting that not only does vitamin D supplementation improve biomarkers of aging, but also functional outcomes.”

“A 2025 meta-analysis found improved quality of life, no clear overall change in ejection fraction, and a borderline improvement in New York Heart Association functional class across a small set of trials.”

“A meta-analysis restricted to direct regional measures from MRI, CT, or ultrasound found a very small average hypertrophy benefit when creatine was combined with resistance training, with uncertainty around the pooled estimate and variation across sites and populations.”

“In a four-month randomized trial of 88 overweight, untrained middle-aged adults, daily doses of 500 or 1,000 milligrams improved some muscle and mitochondrial measures, while the primary outcome of peak power did not significantly improve.”

“Choosing a supplement that contains both glucoraphanin (the precursor to sulforaphane), as well as myrosinase (the enzyme that converts glucoraphanin to sulforaphane), is crucial to ensuring optimal sulforaphane delivery.”

“Peak plasma flavan-3-ol metabolites after the banana smoothie were 84 percent lower than after the capsule, while the low-PPO berry smoothie produced levels similar to the capsule. PPO is released when plant tissue is cut, bruised, or blended and can react with selected polyphenols before they reach circulation.”