Do you love hot chocolate but find yourself rationing the amount you drink because you are worried about the impact on your health? Worry no more as there are five great health benefits you can look forward to when you add hot chocolate to your regular drink routine. We took a look at these benefits in more detail so that you can understand just how good this delicious drink really is – read on to find out more!
Hot Chocolate Can Lower Your Blood Pressure
If you love to indulge into snacks or sweet drinks but can’t decide which one is the healthier option, there might just be an answer here. Hot chocolate is filled with sugars and a few calories but it is also filled with flavanol. Flavanol infuses nitric oxide and provides a chemical reaction that results in a vast-dilation surge.
The reason this is good news for your blood pressure is that the surge can force fat that is stored in the arteries to disperse which is said to reduce high blood pressure levels. Interestingly, hot chocolate can also support your endothelial functioning, which is responsible for your immune function, platelet adhesion and even blood clotting. So, when you next want something hot and sweet, hot chocolate is the answer!
Hot Chocolate Can Improve Your Mental Health
We’ve all had times when things felt too much or when our mood was so low that we were worried if we’d ever feel better again. From self help to therapy and exercise to medication, there are plenty of ways to get the mental health support you need but now there is one more delicious way too – hot chocolate!
Hot chocolate results in an increase of serotonin due to the polyphenols that are in the drink. This boost in serotonin can help you to feel more relaxed and happier as well as providing you with a break from the stresses and strains of the day. When you next feel that things are getting too much, treat yourself to a cup of hot chocolate and let it soothe you.
Hot Chocolate Can Make Your Skin Look Great
Hot chocolate is not just great as support for the inner workings of your body, but it can also help your appearance too! High quality hot chocolate made with milk is a great nutrient boost and helps you get vitamin D and A, both vitamins can help to improve the condition of your skin. It also has lots of flavanol in each cup which is great for the skin too!
So, when you are planning your skin care regime for the day ahead, make sure you add a cup of hot chocolate to your plans. Remember that too much hot chocolate can cancel out all your good work so stick to one regular sized cup a day for the best results and only add toppings like cream and marshmallows occasionally.
Hot Chocolate Can Reduce PMS Symptoms
The number of women that suffer from PMS is staggering and yet they are expected to get on with life without letting it affect them. However, extreme PMS or even PMDD can be debilitating and cause real issues for women who are trying to move forward with work, families and friends.
Hot chocolate can be a tool that helps in this situation as the chocolate can help balance out the serotonin levels in your brain and the milk can provide comforting relief, giving you a peaceful moment before you have to get back on with life.
As with all medical conditions, hot chocolate is not a solution that can replace proper medical treatment but it can help to boost your mood and make you feel able to face the day, so it is well worth adding into your arsenal of tools!
Hot Chocolate Is Nutritious
Whether you are a fan of chocolate or not there is no denying that chocolate products are nutritious and calorie rich foods. Dark chocolate contains calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, Vitamin A, and other useful nutrients. It has been used for many years as an ‘’energy snack ‘’ and there is a reason for that. It delivers the sugars fast to the body boosting overall mood and energy levels.
If you do not consider yourself a fan of chocolate, there are always a high number of alternatives available to look out for. From drinkable products to spreads there is always something to indulge especially during winter times. Just remember to look out for the right product.
Remember To Buy The Right Hot Chocolate
It’s clear that these health benefits make it easier to justify drinking a cup of delicious hot chocolate everyday! However, to get all the benefits we’ve discussed, you will need to invest in the best. And the best is a high quality hot chocolate set .
Look for products that have a good chocolate percentage rating and that are chocolate flakes rather than a powder as this will help you find the best quality options that will give you maximum health benefits.