Randomized, blind parallel group design. Single intake of 55 g high Epicatechin /Melissa dark chocolate containing 160 mg Epicatechin per 55 g serving or single intake of 55 g low Epicatechin/ oat bran white chocolate containing < 0,00045 mg Epicatechin per 55 g serving.

A Total of 128 participants, 64 in each group, approx. equal number of male and female. There will be replacement of Drop-Outs until data from 128 participants are completed.

The primary endpoints will be performance in a pictorial memory task and a verbal memory task .

The secondary endpoints will be performance in a working memory test, Saliva cortisol, Visual analog scales assessing, anxiety, confidence, interference, solicitude, and excitement.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy by history
• normotensive (BP between 90/60 mmHg and 140/90 mmHg)
• BMI between 18 and < 30 kg/m2
• male or female
• aged between 18 and 30 years
• native or fluent German-speaking
• Prüfungsangstfragebogen (PAF) total or subscale interference score T value > 60

Exclusion Criteria:

• Known hypersensitivity or allergy to cocoa, Melissa, oat, vanillin, milk, soja, nuts
• gluten intolerance
• lactose intolerance
• acute or chronic psychiatric disorder including drug or alcohol abuse
• women who are pregnant or breast feeding
• any clinically significant concomitant disease states (e.g., renal failure, hepatic dysfunction, cardiovascular disease etc., infections)
• known or suspected non-compliance
• smoking (> 5 cigarettes per day)
• participation in one of our previous studies using the same memory tests in the past 2 years
• participation in a study with investigational drug within the 30 days preceding and during the present study
• long-term medication within last 3 months (oral contraceptives are disregarded)