The Acute Effects of Cocoa Flavanols Intake on Overt and Covert Attention

NCT06812689 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 122K636
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 48
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The present study aimed to examine whether a cocoa beverage containing 710 mg of flavanols enhances both overt and covert attention in healthy young adults, using a randomized, double-blind, baseline- and placebo-controlled crossover design.

Conditions

Healthy Young Adults

Keywords

cocoa flavanols; overt attention; covert attention

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Spatial cueing task - accuracy

  Difference in the total accuracy (%)

  1 hour 40 minutes post-ingestion

• Spatial cueing task - reaction time

  Difference in the reaction time (ms) for correct responses

  1 hour 40 minutes post-ingestion

• Visual search task - accuracy

  Difference in the total accuracy (%)

  1 hour 40 minutes post-ingestion

• Visual search task - reaction time

  Difference in the reaction time (ms) for correct responses

  1 hour 40 minutes post-ingestion

Study Arms (6)

Baseline/Placebo/Flavanol

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants consumed sugar water, an alkalized cocoa beverage, and a natural cocoa beverage containing 710 mg of flavanols, with a one-week washout period between interventions.

Dietary Supplement: Flavanol; Dietary Supplement: Placebo; Other: Sugar water

Baseline/Flavanol/Placebo

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants consumed sugar water, a natural cocoa beverage containing 710 mg of flavanols, and an alkalized cocoa beverage, with a one-week washout period between interventions.

Dietary Supplement: Flavanol; Dietary Supplement: Placebo; Other: Sugar water

Placebo/Baseline/Flavanol

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants consumed an alkalized cocoa beverage, sugar water, and a natural cocoa beverage containing 710 mg of flavanols, with a one-week washout period between interventions.

Dietary Supplement: Flavanol; Dietary Supplement: Placebo; Other: Sugar water

Placebo/Flavanol/Baseline

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants consumed an alkalized cocoa beverage, a natural cocoa beverage containing 710 mg of flavanols, and sugar water, with a one-week washout period between interventions.

Dietary Supplement: Flavanol; Dietary Supplement: Placebo; Other: Sugar water

Flavanol/Baseline/Placebo

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants consumed a natural cocoa beverage containing 710 mg of flavanols, sugar water, and an alkalized cocoa beverage, with a one-week washout period between interventions.

Dietary Supplement: Flavanol; Dietary Supplement: Placebo; Other: Sugar water

Flavanol/Placebo/Baseline

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants consumed a natural cocoa beverage containing 710 mg of flavanols, an alkalized cocoa beverage, and sugar water, with a one-week washout period between interventions.

Dietary Supplement: Flavanol; Dietary Supplement: Placebo; Other: Sugar water

Interventions

Flavanol DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Natural cocoa powder containing 710 mg of flavanols was dissolved in 250 mL of hot water and sweetened with 6 g of sugar.

Baseline/Flavanol/Placebo; Baseline/Placebo/Flavanol; Flavanol/Baseline/Placebo; Flavanol/Placebo/Baseline; Placebo/Baseline/Flavanol; Placebo/Flavanol/Baseline

Placebo DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Alkalized cocoa powder containing no flavanols was dissolved in 250 mL of hot water and sweetened with 6 g of sugar.

Baseline/Flavanol/Placebo; Baseline/Placebo/Flavanol; Flavanol/Baseline/Placebo; Flavanol/Placebo/Baseline; Placebo/Baseline/Flavanol; Placebo/Flavanol/Baseline

Sugar water OTHER

250 mL of hot water with 6 g of sugar

Baseline/Flavanol/Placebo; Baseline/Placebo/Flavanol; Flavanol/Baseline/Placebo; Flavanol/Placebo/Baseline; Placebo/Baseline/Flavanol; Placebo/Flavanol/Baseline

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 30 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Normal or corrected-to-normal visual acuity

You may not qualify if:

• History of neurological, psychiatric, cardiovascular or metabolic disorders
• Following a medically restricted diet
• Taking antidepressant, anxiolytic, and antipsychotic drugs in the past three months
• Currently taking anticoagulant
• Taking herbal supplements in the past week
• Allergic or intolerant to cocoa, caffeine, sucrose, or fructose
• Color blindness

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Konya Necmettin Erbakan Üniversitesi: lead
• The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Konya Necmettin Erbakan University Cognitive Psychology Laboratuary

Konya, Konya, 42090, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Related Publications (3)

• Karataş O, Karabay A, Alıcı T. Uzun süreli kakao flavanolleri alımının bilişsel işlevlere ve duygudurumuna etkileri ve bu etkilerin altındaki fizyolojik mekanizmalar: Bir derleme çalışması. Türk Psikoloji Yazıları. 2022;25(49):1-26. http://dx.doi.org/10.31828/tpy1301996120211203m000043

  BACKGROUND

• Lamport DJ, Pal D, Moutsiana C, Field DT, Williams CM, Spencer JP, Butler LT. The effect of flavanol-rich cocoa on cerebral perfusion in healthy older adults during conscious resting state: a placebo controlled, crossover, acute trial. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2015 Sep;232(17):3227-34. doi: 10.1007/s00213-015-3972-4. Epub 2015 Jun 7.

  PMID: 26047963 BACKGROUND

• Francis ST, Head K, Morris PG, Macdonald IA. The effect of flavanol-rich cocoa on the fMRI response to a cognitive task in healthy young people. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol. 2006;47 Suppl 2:S215-20. doi: 10.1097/00005344-200606001-00018.

  PMID: 16794461 BACKGROUND

Study Officials

• Oğuz Karataş, Ph.D.

  Konya Necmettin Erbakan University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 1, 2025
• First Posted: February 6, 2025
• Study Start: November 26, 2022
• Primary Completion: January 20, 2023
• Study Completion: January 20, 2023
• Last Updated: February 17, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP
• Time Frame: Beginning 3 months after publication with no end date.
• Access Criteria: A proposal that describes planned analyses must be submitted

Locations

TU (1)