Wayne’s parents came up from Florida to spend Christmas with us this year. While preparing for their visit, we called and asked what food and drinks they would prefer. Our new Mom (the bride of his 90-year-old dad) immediately said, “Dark Chocolate hot cocoa.” I didn’t know there was such a thing as dark chocolate hot cocoa, but since I love, love, love the dark stuff, I knew I’d be trying it.
I couldn’t wait. I already knew I was going to love it, so I made a cup for Wayne as well in order to get a more accurate assessment of how yummy it really was. Since he doesn’t care for dark chocolate so much, it would have to be pretty tasty to get his nod of approval. After heating the water, I tore open the packet and made the cocoa. As I stirred, the chocolatey smell floated up from the cup, yum – it smelled so good; I knew I was going to love it. I did. Even better, Wayne did. I think it’s going to become a staple here.
Dark chocolate isn’t known for its sweetness. Creating dark hot cocoa must have been a challenge. I’m sure it took a bit of trial and error to figure out how to combine the richness of the dark with enough sweetness to create something that is a joy to drink.
The Power of Chocolate
About five years ago I wrote an article called “The Power of Chocolate”. In it, I explored a study about a chocolate pill called ‘Blood Flow +’ that was created using cocoa flavanols. At the time, it was only available in the UK. February is a month often associated with chocolate, so I thought it might be time to see what advances have been made and studies conducted on dark chocolate during the past several years.
New Dark Chocolate Studies
Source: american-heritage-chocolate-wgka_XBROhc-unsplash
As it turns out, there have been several studies regarding the health benefits of dark chocolate. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Research continues to point to dark chocolate as having many health benefits, including a lower risk of heart disease and diabetes, preventing blood clots, improving memory, lowering cholesterol and even preventing some types of cancer.”
Additionally, the Healthline.com website shares “7 Proven Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate”.
All Chocolate is not Created Equal
Milk chocolate does not offer the same health benefits. Dark chocolate containing at least 70 percent cocoa is rich in disease-fighting plant chemicals called flavanols, or antioxidants. Studies show it can help lower your risk of heart disease. According to experts, the recommended daily dose is approximately 1 to 2 ounces.
Word of warning: even though dark cocoa is chock full of powerful nutrition, it also contains quite a bit of saturated fat and calories, so don’t overdo it. Even so, it seems as if eating any amount of dark chocolate is still potentially good for you. I believe it is a risk I am willing to take.
It turns out that not everyone loves the taste of the darker stuff. Do not despair, there’s more than one way to add it to your diet. Try adding ‘cacao nibs‘, which are small pieces of crushed cacao beans to almost anything you are cooking or blending. Since they are loaded with an impressive list of nutrients and are naturally low in sugar, you will still receive the benefits without all the excess calories.
New Dark Chocolate Tradition
Why wait? There are so many amazing benefits associated with dark chocolate. In light of this, maybe it’s time to begin a new tradition on Valentine’s Day, (or any day that ends in a y). Try some today. Better yet, share some dark chocolatey goodness with someone you love.
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It’s good to know the ratio that kicks chocolate food into the healthy category. Any day that ends in y —so funny 😄