Cozy Up With a Cup of Hot Cocoa

Looking for a healthy beverage? Consider hot cocoa. Research from Cornell University shows that hot cocoa packs more cancer-fighting antioxidants than other well-known antioxidant sources like green tea and red wine, boasting two to three times the antioxidant punch of green tea and nearly double that of red wine. Antioxidants are natural compounds that help combat free radicals in the body, which are linked to cancer, heart disease, and aging.

What’s more, a cup of hot cocoa delivers the benefits of chocolate with very little fat. On average, a serving of hot cocoa contains just 0.3 grams of fat, compared with about 8 grams of saturated fat in a standard 40-gram chocolate bar.

The health advantages increase when the cocoa is served hot, heat releases even more antioxidants into the drink.

To maximize the goodness in your mug, choose your hot cocoa wisely. Many commercial instant mixes contain more sugar than real cocoa, so the higher cocoa content is on the ingredient list, the better the benefits. In the Cornell study, participants drank a cup made with hot water and two tablespoons of pure cocoa powder, about the same amount of cocoa as found in a packet of instant hot chocolate, but without the excess sugar. Using skim milk and natural, zero-calorie sweeteners like stevia can make your drink even healthier. And skip the marshmallows for added health points.

Source:   

Lee C, Lee K, Lee H, Kim Y.  Cocoa has more phenolic phytochemicals and a higher antioxidant capacity than teas and red wine. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, American Chemical Society.