A Swiss doctor has unveiled the link between eating chocolate and winning the Nobel Prize.

Franz H Messerli, MD, published his findings in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine, in an article titled: ‘Chocolate Consumption, Cognitive Function, and Nobel Laureates.’

(Image: Giphy)

The good doctor bases his hypothesis on the assumption that winning a Nobel Prize is related, rather sensibly, to cognitive ability. His article goes on to posit that a link exists between brain-boosting flavonols (organic molecules found in foods like chocolate, red wine, and green tea) and winning the prize.

Dr Messerli wanted to examine the relationship of flavanols to laureates, so investigated the per of Nobel winners compared to per capita chocolate consumption by country from 1900 to 2012. Check out his results here:

Undeniable scientific proof (Image: NEMJ)

As Dr Messerli says: “Chocolate consumption enhances cognitive function, which is a sine qua non for winning the Nobel Prize, and it closely correlates with the number of Nobel laureates in each country.”

Of course, by looking at the graph, you can clearly see a large Swedish-shaped problem to forming an iron-clad chocolate-fuelled route to Nobel recognition.

Based on the 6.4kgs of cocoa brain food devoured by Swedes each year, the country should only have 14 laureates, instead of 32.

On that note, Dr Messerli has his own theory:

“Considering that in this instance the observed number exceeds the expected number by a factor of more than 2, one cannot quite escape the notion that either the Nobel Committee in Stockholm has some inherent patriotic bias when assessing the candidates for these awards or, perhaps, that the Swedes are particularly sensitive to chocolate, and even minuscule amounts greatly enhance their cognition.”

(Image: Giphy)

Anyway, it goes to show that if you’re looking to raise the next Ernest Walton or Samuel Beckett, give your son or daughter a Mint Crisp to nibble on.