Graveyard shift woes? Mocha lattes can help you focus better

Do you work in overnight shifts and struggle to stay active and focused while working? Good news! Drinking mocha lattes can improve your attention span and help in combating sluggishness.

According to researchers from Clarkson University in New York and the University of Georgia, the combination of coffee and chocolate found in mocha is perfect for helping you stay focused, reports the Independent.

They examined "the acute effects of brewed cocoa consumption on attention, motivation to perform cognitive work and feelings of anxiety, energy and fatigue."

"Cocoa increases cerebral blood flow, which increases cognition and attention. Caffeine alone can increase anxiety. This particular project found that cocoa lessens caffeine's anxiety-producing effects," said Researcher Ali Boolani Clarkson University.

In a study that lasted nearly a year, participants drank either brewed cocoa, cocoa with caffeine, caffeine without cocoa, or a placebo hot drink with neither caffeine nor cocoa.

After drinking the beverage, the participants were asked to do an array of tasks which would see their cognitive function and mood assessed.

They found that those who drink plain cocoa made fewer errors linked to lack of attention.

But then after adding caffeine to the cocoa too, "cognitive effects" were enhanced and the "anxiety-provoking effects" of drinking just coffee were reduced.

"The results of the tests are definitely promising and show that cocoa and caffeine are good choices for students and anyone else who needs to improve sustained attention," Boolani explained.