Want to Win the Nobel Prize? Eat Chocolate.

Didn’t win that coveted Nobel Prize last week? Well, there’s always next year. And here’s a little tip to improve your chances, straight from the pages of the New England Journal of Medicine: eat more chocolate. Say what?! Well, several studies have shown that chocolate is chock full of stuff that improves your brain power. As if you needed another reason to eat the sweet stuff!

Dr. Franz H. Messerli looked at the correlation between a nation’s chocolate consumption and the number of Nobel laureates among its population. His findings were, in his words, “surprisingly powerful.” Indeed, when the per capita consumption of chocolate goes up, the number of prize-winning scientists and academics goes up too. Case in point: Switzerland, where you’ll find the most Nobel laureates per capita and the highest rate of chocolate consumption per capita out of anywhere on the planet.

Sure, most of us will never have a shot at winning a Nobel — but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take the advice to heart. Chocolate contains flavanols, a kind of dietary flavonoid shown to improve cognitive performance. In other words, chocolate has the ability to boost your thinking, your memory and your ability to perceive and understand ideas. Some studies of flavanols have even shown that it can reverse or slow down the the aging process’ affect on cognitive ability.

So don’t skip that dessert tonight — your brain will thank you later!

Chocolate Recipes:
Aztec Hot Chocolate
Chocolate Strawberry Royale
Homemade Nutella: Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
Best Chocolate Recipes

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Nils Anders L.

8:20AM PDT on May 2, 2013

May 2
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Michele W.

11:34AM PDT on Mar 28, 2013

Thank you

March 28
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Duane B.

12:27PM PST on Feb 23, 2013

Thank you for sharing.

February 23
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Natasha S.

3:27AM PST on Feb 5, 2013

WOW....Guess i'll be nibbling on chocolate for breakfast,lunch,dinner and snacking!!!!

February 5
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Kerstin S.

5:39AM PST on Feb 2, 2013

Isn't it great?

February 2
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Christina B.

1:49PM PST on Feb 1, 2013

As if I needed an excuse... But since the subject came up, I have to say that I just had a cup of hot cacao with a slice of chocolate cake, as I am studying for my exams.