Hot Cocoa vs Hot Chocolate Only the Winner is a Health Drink

Many people think that not cocoa and hot chocolate are the same beverage but the difference may surprise you. Hot chocolate is more like ground up candy bars with additional fillers and milk solids. Mostly comprised of sugar and artificial chocolate flavorings. Hot cocoa on the other hand is made from cocoa powder which is packed with healthy antioxidants and other nutrients. Cocoa powder has had the cocoa butter removed and when used with minimal sugar and fat can rightly be called a healthy drink. When given a choice between two similar tasting hot beverages, why not chose the healthy hot cocoa and feel good about it?

Hot cocoa has been around a long time and for good reason. It is one of the most potent antioxidant beverages you can drink, plus it is naturally delicious! Archaeologists have found that the oldest civilization of the Americas, the Olmecs, (1500-400 BC), were probably the first users of cacao. The Mayans continued consuming-based drinks made with beans. Chocolatl was the name of a drink made from roasted cocoa beans, water and spices and was consumed voraciously by the aristocracy. They primarily drank cocoa but the beans were also valued as a currency.

Fit for a King

The Mayans and Oltecs drank a very different version of hot cocoa than we think of. They added cocoa powder to hot water, wine, spices and peppers. This bitter and spicy drink was often reserved for kings and court. The process of crating the cocoa powder and special mixtures was often secret, like a trademark recipe. Once the Spanish got a hold of it the drink took on a life of its own. Soon people of all classes was clamoring for the now sweetened after dinner drink. Cocoa beans became the newest craze for bakers and dessert makers all over Europe.

Nowadays people are discovering the powerful nutritional benefits of the cocoa bean. Recent research has found that the flavonoids in chocolate are more powerful than vitamins such as ascorbic acid in protecting circulating lipids from oxidation. And researchers discovered that people who eat chocolate and sweets up to three times each month live almost a year longer than people who eat too much or folks that steer clear of junk altogether. (This is from a study done at the Harvard School of Public Health)

Make Sure you are Drinking the Right Cocoa

In order to get the maximum health benefits form the hot cocoa you drink it is important that you start with a high quality cocoa powder. You can spot a good cocoa powder because it will be dark brown and have a bitter taste. Real cocoa powder also takes some effort to dissolve. A whisk works well for this. You can heat milk for the hot cocoa base, but many people also enjoy non dairy alternatives like: soy milk, rice milk, coconut milk or water. Add a natural sweetener like agave necter, rapedura (sugar cane crystals) or honey for a hot beverage that is delicious and good for you too.

Hot Cocoa is now a health food. Dark chocolate contains plant substances called polyphenols. This is the ingredient researchers believe are responsible for the heart-healthy aspects of green tea and red wine. Polyphenols have also been proven to lower blood pressure in animals.

Hot cocoa provides even more antioxidants than green tea, blueberries or red wine. You certainly can't beat it on a cold or rainy night. Hot cocoa also contains elements that are help the body make the important neurotransmitter, serotonin, a hormone that produces a feeling of well being.

Harvard researcher, Dr Vinson and his colleagues discovered that the flavonoids in chocolate are even more powerful than vitamins used for anti oxidation. Studies in Atherosclerosis show that the oxidation of lipoproteins is one of the ways that plaque clogs artery walls. Food scientists from Cornell University state that they have discovered that cocoa has almost twice the antioxidants of red wine and nearly three times the antioxidents of green tea.

In order to get the maximum antioxidants from cocoa it is important for your body to be able to absorb them. Some studies show that consuming cocoa along with dairy actually blocks your body from being able to absorb the nutrients properly. You can still enjoy a delicious cup of hot cocoa by mixing it with a non dairy alternative. You also get more antioxidants from drinking hot cocoa than eating a chocolate bar. The heat releases more flavanoids.

For many years the common conception of hot cocoa was that of a commercially prepared packet mix that was basically sugared flavored chocolate turned into a sweetened instant powder and marketed to children. Now adults are finding that the drink they loved as kids is better than taking vitamins! Drink your cocoa hot and pure and enjoy the best tasting health drink available.

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Darren Craddock is an expert in Naturopathy and Nutrition. Don't miss his Free Report: Discover how to stay healthy naturally and have more energy! Discover Cocoa Mojo the Healthy Hot Cocoa that boost immune response!

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