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Eating dark chocolate may improve visual acuity, contrast sensitivity
Participants who ate a dark chocolate bar experienced improved contrast sensitivity and visual acuity 2 hours after eating the candy compared with participants who ate a milk chocolate bar, according to a study.
The randomized, single-masked crossover clinical study included 30 participants randomly assigned to consume either a milk chocolate bar or a dark chocolate bar. The participants were evaluated within 2 hours after consumption, and the researchers measured visual acuity and large- and small-letter contrast sensitivity.
After consumption, large-letter contrast was slightly higher in the participants in the dark chocolate group, with a mean score of 2.05 logCS compared with 2.0 logCS for the milk chocolate participants. For small-letter contrast, participants in the dark chocolate group had a mean score of 1.45 logCS compared with 1.30 logCS in the milk chocolate group.
Visual acuity improved slightly to –0.22 logMAR, approximately 20/12, in the dark chocolate group compared with –0.18 logMAR, approximately 20/15, in the milk chocolate group.
The composite scores for all results showed significant improvement for the dark chocolate participants compared with milk chocolate (P < .001). However, the duration of the improvements and their real-world influence remain to determined. – by Robert Linnehan
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.