A small clinical trial found vision improved two hours after eating a bar of chocolate
If you like dark chocolate, here is yet another reason to indulge.
A new study has found that eating dark chocolate may improve vision. Past research has shown that dark chocolate improves mood, betters blood flow and also improved cognition. The recent study which shows it could also improve eyesight has been published in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology.
Past studies have suggested that dark chocolate may have a role in bettering memory, slowing down the progress of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s and also improvement in cardiovascular functions.
The study looked at the visual acuity of 30 participants over a three month period from June to August 2017. Eating a dark or milk chocolate bar was the intervention that the trial subjects had to fulfill. Visual acuity and the ability to read letters of different sizes and contrast (lighter vs. darker letters) were measured about two hours after eating chocolate.
The study concluded: “Contrast sensitivity and visual acuity were significantly higher 2 hours after consumption of a dark chocolate bar compared with a milk chocolate bar, but the duration of these effects and their influence in real-world performance await further testing.” However the results were limited by the fact that researchers did not know how long the effects lasted.
While the immediate implications and the reasons for the improvement were not known, researchers argued that it could be linked to the effect dark chocolate has on improving blood flow. The retina which is the sensory receptor for vision is very rich in blood flow.
Past studies have suggested that dark chocolate may have a role in bettering memory, slowing down the progress of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s and also improvement in cardiovascular functions.
