Chocolate bar with resveratrol may help improve memory, learning skills

Jun 22 2010

Wondering where you put the car keys? Can't remember what day of the week it is? Perhaps you need to eat a new kind of chocolate bar.

A recent study showed that consuming resveratrol, a key antioxidant found in chocolate and red wine, might be a memory-booster. The study was conducted using a particular form of resveratrol called resVida which is available in a gourmet chocolate bar, The WineTime Bar.

And while the new research tested the abilities of elderly mice, the results, say experts, may equally apply to aging baby boomers.

In the study the mice were put through a variety of tests after four weeks of supplementation with resveratrol. Researchers headed by Hasan Mohajeri of DSM Nutritional Products concluded that resVida significantly improved memory and learning skills in the aged mice. Researchers also found in vitro exposure to resVida significantly protected brain cell function.

Mohajeri said: "These findings suggest resVida supplementation to be a viable approach for delaying age-associated reductions in learning and memory, and therefore may further help to prevent the normally occurring age-associated deterioration of cognitive performance."

Mohajeri's study was released at the annual conference of the American Aging Association.

Last November one of the first studies of resVida supplementation in humans showed the potential for improved heart health. University of South Australia researchers concluded that resVida resveratrol prompted a positive effect on blood flow of the brachial artery.

The WineTime Bar is the first food product to contain resveratrol. It is a rich dark chocolate bar with dates and almonds and seven extra "super fruits." Although it is only 190 calories it is high in fiber, gluten free and dairy free. Each bar contains as much resveratrol as you would find in 50 glasses of red wine. In addition to resVida it is infused with resveratrol from premium red grapes harvested in France's Rhone Valley.

While the bar has an excellent nutritional profile it is winning acclaim for its taste and received a New Product Bronze Award at the San Francisco International Chocolate Salon.

Malcolm Nicholl, president and CEO of ResVez, Inc., the company that developed the patent-pending bar, said: "The WineTime Bar is a true healthy indulgence. You can enjoy the benefits of red wine without all of the alcohol and without the hangover. The bar is absolutely delicious and is ideal as a snack, for dessert, or even as a meal replacement. And, of course, it pairs nicely with wine."