Beyond Bioavailability — What Research Shows About Flavanols' Effectiveness
Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health
Briana Mercola
4.6 • 1.5K Ratings
🗓️ 22 December 2025
⏱️ 8 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
- Flavanols are plant compounds in cocoa, berries, and tea with low bioavailability, meaning only a small portion enters the bloodstream
- A new animal study found that oral flavanol doses of 25 to 50 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) activated the subjects' brains within minutes
- Flavanols are a type of flavonoid within the polyphenol family. This hierarchy clarifies their differences and explains why foods have unique combinations that offer specific health benefits
- If you choose cocoa flavanol supplements, don't fall for flashy marketing; whenever possible, stick to a nutritious food-first approach
- Along with consuming flavanol-rich foods, pairing them with regular physical activity and a nutrient-dense, plant-focused diet helps support long-term brain health and cardiovascular resilience
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | What if the sharp, dry taste of dark chocolate could switch on your focus in minutes and improve your short-term memory before digestion even begins? |
| 0:09.0 | Welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom. Stay informed with quick, easy-to-listen summaries of our latest articles, perfect for when you're on the go. No reading required. |
| 0:19.0 | Subscribe for free at Mercola.com for the latest health insights. |
| 0:23.9 | Hello and welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom. I'm Ethan Foster. |
| 0:29.0 | Today we're examining flavanols, plant compounds in cocoa, berries, and tea, |
| 0:34.8 | and what new research suggests about their near-instant effects on your brain, |
| 0:39.1 | plus how longer-term intake can support your blood vessels and healthy aging. I'm Alara Sky. |
| 0:45.9 | Flavinols sit within a clear hierarchy. Polyphenols are the umbrella group. Flavinoids are a major |
| 0:51.7 | subgroup, and flavanols, also called catechins or flavanthrioles, |
| 0:56.0 | are one subclass found abundantly in cocoa, tea, and berries. |
| 1:02.0 | Understanding that structure matters because different foods carry distinct combinations that can deliver specific benefits. |
| 1:09.0 | A recent animal study tested whether the astringent taste of flavanols can trigger brain activity |
| 1:14.6 | through sensory nerves rather than absorption. |
| 1:18.6 | Ten-week-old mice received oral flavanol extracts at 25 or 50 milligrams per kilogram, while controls got water. |
| 1:26.6 | Using a standard novel object recognition to test, |
| 1:30.2 | the flavanol groups performed about 30% better on memory within the same hour, and showed increased |
| 1:36.6 | exploratory behavior. The investigators traced this rapid effect to activation of alertness pathways. |
| 1:43.1 | Noradrenaline rose in the Locus Coerileus, the brain's primary arousal |
| 1:47.5 | center, along with quick changes in dopamine and related metabolites across regions linked |
| 1:52.0 | to attention and reward. Enzymes and transporters involved in noradrenaline production |
| 1:58.0 | also increased, consistent with a fast, taste-driven neural response. |
| 2:03.4 | They also observed mild stress signaling. Urinary catacolamines increased, and activity rose in |
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