Why mocha is the best drink to improve concentration

Do not know how to ask your boss to put a coffee maker in the office? Scientists can help you with this. They found that mocha is the best drink when it comes to increasing the concentration of your attention. Yes, this delicious combination of coffee and cocoa is ideal for productive work, - so says science.

What exactly did the scientists

Researchers from the Clarkson and Georgia Universities studied the effect of cocoa in combination with caffeine and without it on the duration of concentration, motivation to do cognitive work, as well as feelings of anxiety, energy and fatigue. Their findings, published in BMC Nutrition, showed that combining the ability of coffee to combat fatigue and cocoa to reduce anxiety was the best way to increase concentration.

"It was a really funny study," said its lead author Ali Bolani of Clarkson University in a statement. - Cocoa increases the flow of blood to the brain, which increases cognitive activity and attention. But caffeine in itself can increase anxiety. This particular project found that cocoa reduces the anxiety caused by caffeine! A good reason to drink mocha latte. "

How the tests were conducted

In a study that lasted throughout the year, participants had to drink just cocoa, a drink with caffeine, caffeine without cocoa or a placebo. Then the scientists checked the effects, assessing the mood of the subjects and the ability to perform cognitive tasks. It was also a double-blind study, since neither the participants nor the researchers knew what substance was being tested.

The tests included the observation of letters flashing on the screen. Participants were to note when they saw that the letter "X" appears after "A". In the second stage they had to perform mathematical tasks, subtract and mark when odd numbers appear in the sequence.

Interesting conclusions

The authors concluded that cocoa itself increases blood flow to the brain, increasing cognitive activity and attention span, and coffee - a well-known stimulant - alone can increase anxiety. However, with their simultaneous use, caffeine stimulates work, and cocoa increases attention, but at the same time reduces anxiety caused by the effect of caffeine. And this means that mocha is the best drink for you when you feel that it's hard for you to concentrate.

"The results of the tests are certainly promising and show that cocoa in combination with caffeine is a good choice for students and anyone who needs to improve attention," said Bolani. He is going to conduct tests at the University of Clarkson to examine the differences between natural and synthetic caffeine, as well as carry out further research on the properties of cocoa.