Brain Hypoperfusion in Autism & Cocoa
Today’s post is simpler than many earlier ones and is actionable. A known feature of many neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s and dementia is reduced blood flow to certain parts of the brain. In the medical jargon this is called hypoperfusion. This reduced blood flow is also present in autism and is measurable by MRI. We encountered epicatechin in early posts on cocoa flavanols. It would seem that one of epicatechin’s many effects is to increase cerebral blood flow. Two chocolate companies, Mars (Cocoavia) in the US and Barry Callebaut (ACTICOA) in France, have developed high flavanol cocoa. 10 g of their cocoa contains about 1 g of flavanols and produces cognitive benefits; even a quarter of this dose gives the cardiovascular benefits. Mars, in particular, are funding a great deal of research and have committed to a five year project with Harvard. The high flavanol products are available today. Brain Perfusion Anomalies in Autism While most res...