Today we thought that it'd be an apropos time to cover some of the wonderful benefits of chocolate due to the release of a study that has just been published in the New England Journal of Medicine showing a correlation between chocolate consumption and the number of Nobel Laureates in a given country.
Dr. Franz H. Messerli, the lead researcher of the study, was interested in whether a correlation could be found between a country's level of chocolate consumption and its population's cognitive function. Due to the fact that data on national cognitive function, as a whole, was not publicly available, Dr. Messerli used data on the total number of Nobel Laureates per capita. He believed that this data could represent one end of the spectrum of advanced cognitive function-in essence, giving some kind of measure for the overall cognitive function of a given country. The result of the study showed a very strong correlation between chocolate consumption per capita and the number of Nobel Laureates in each country.
Amazing, right? Now, as we all know from our LSAT prep days, correlation does not prove causation. But, why not use this as an excuse to eat more chocolate?
Just remember that the best chocolate to eat for improved cognitive function is dark chocolate. The benefits of chocolate come from its cocoa content. Dark chocolate has the highest amount of cocoa. Experts suggest getting chocolate that is at least 70% cocoa to ensure that you will benefit from the antioxidant-rich powers of the treat.
Another amazing effect of dark chocolate consumption is its link to possibly quelling one's crankiness. The long road of bar exam prep can make you quite irritable and cranky. Studies have shown that cocoa both eases bad moods and elevates good moods. In a study released last May, 72 participants either drank a chocolate concoction with a high content of cocoa or drank a placebo. Results of the study showed that those who took a daily dose of the cocoa mixture reported distinct improvements in self-assessed calmness and contentedness after just one month of drinking the cocoa mixture.
Isn't that something you'd like more of during your bar exam prep? Calmness and contentedness? We think so! So break open a box of dark chocolate today, guilt-free! Your bar prep guru has officially endorsed it! Huzza for eating chocolate in the name of the bar exam!
Happy Studying!
