A high-cocoa staple with health halo and bitter elegance
A study with 23 healthy men shows that sniffing dark chocolate (90% cocoa) before and during leg extensions increases repetitions by about 18, and sniffing milk chocolate (60% cocoa) increases by about 9, without raising perceived effort. Dark chocolate may cue fullness; milk chocolate offers a more pleasant scent.
A two-year Latin American trial has shown that older adults at risk of dementia who followed a structured lifestyle program—combining supervised exercise, brain-healthy diet guidance, cognitive training, and social activity—outperformed a control group in cognition, memory, and processing speed.