A new research has disclosed that eating chocolate can help children improve their mathematical skills plus improve their level of energy.

The study researchers have discovered that large amounts of flavanols, which are compounds, found in chocolate, and part of a chemicals group called polyphenols, increase blood flow to the brain.

Prof David Kennedy of Northumbria University, who lead the study, stated that the study results suggest that pupils who depend on chocolate while preparing for examination might have an actual advantage from doing so.

Prof Kennedy also said that chocolate could also be useful for tasks that are mentally challenging.

“For things that are difficult to do, mentally demanding things that may crop up in your work it could help,” Prof David added.

In their study, researchers asked 30 participants to count backwards in groups of three from a random number between 800 and 999 generated by a computer.

The results pointed out that they could do the calculations speedily and precisely after they consumed a hot cocoa drink, which contains 500 mg flavanols.

But, the chocolate didn't help when the participants were asked to count backwards by sevens.

The researchers described it as a harder task, which needs a slightly different part of the brain.

Moreover, the results of the study also showed that the partakers did not feel exhausted while doing the calculations if they had been given the cocoa drink, despite being asked to do them over and over for an hour.

Study’s co-author Emma Wightman said, “You can get bars of chocolate that have 100 mg of flavanol, and we are also going to look at effect of lower doses of flavanol on the brain.”

The findings of the study were presented at the British Psychological Society annual conference in Brighton.