If chocolate and coffee are two of your favorite things, we’ve got good news! Pairing them together is not only delicious, but the coupling is advantageous for brain health.

Both coffee and cacao beans contain antioxidants that promote cognition. The flavonoids in cacao and coffee help increase a person’s ability to learn new things and aid memory. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that one strong cup of coffee per day, equal to 200 mg, is the optimal dose to enhance memory,^[1] according to the research study published in Nature Neuroscience. The Johns Hopkins University study was the first of its kind and examined the cognitive effect caffeine has on humans, particularly how the chemical strengthens memory. Even after 24 hours of being consumed, a cup of coffee enhances certain memories. Imagine that!

It’s not your imagination that life seems brighter after eating a bar of chocolate. It’s a proven fact (as if we really needed proof). Chocolate “induces positive effects on mood…”^[2]. The flavonoids in chocolate that enhance cognitive function, also increase the ability to achieve visual tasks. Again, imagine that!

If it weren’t for chocolate and coffee, we might get the impression that everything healthy also doesn’t taste good. Aside from the health benefits, coffee on its own is enjoyable, but chocolate is a worthy complement. How great is it that you can stimulate the brain and your taste buds simultaneously, with the melding of flavors and aromas. For instance, espresso is delicious with dark chocolate, and milk chocolate paired with a cappuccino is to die for, though comparatively, more health benefits are achieved with the consumption of dark chocolate.