If you're looking to improve your physical and mental health, science has no shortage of recommendations. Exercise more, about a million studies suggests. Quit multitasking. Eat more whole grains.
These are clearly all worthy findings and we'd do well to heed the advice, but let's be honest: you might dutifully go out and buy some quinoa, or sign up for that spin class, but none of these recommendations is exactly going to make you jump for joy.
But that might just change with a recent study by Australian nutrition researcher Georgina Crichton and colleagues. It analyzed data generated by the huge Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study, which has tracked lifestyle factors and health outcomes of nearly 1,000 people for decades. Between 2001 and 2006 that included gathering detailed information about the subjects' diets. What did Crichton's team find when they crunched the numbers?
The happiest health science news you'll read all day.
After careful analysis that controlled for other lifestyle factors, the team discovered that one utterly surprising food appeared to significantly improve mental function -- chocolate.
Yup, you heard that right. Not worthy but unexciting fiber or kale, but yummy, delicious chocolate. These scientists are actually recommending you eat more of one of the tastiest foods around.
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