Hot cocoa benefits: 3 ways cocoa improves heart health, brain function, and inflammation

Hot cocoa made with cocoa powder can do so much more for you than just warm you up on a chilly day. Studies have shown that flavanols from cocoa have been proven to have positive effects on circulation and heart functions as well as brain functions. Dr. William Li, a world-renowned physician, scientist, explains 3 ways in which hot cocoa can boost our health

Cocoa contains high amounts of flavanols, which are known to improve the function of your arteries’ inner lining. Flavanols increase the availability of nitric oxide, an artery relaxer that smooths blood flow and reduces pressure on the heart.

Clinical trials involving people with heart disease have revealed that high flavanol-content cocoa beverages can enhance artery elasticity, reduce blood pressure slightly, and elevate the amount of repair-targeted stem cells within the bloodstream. Regular consumption will thus lead to a reduced risk of heart problems, making it common for cocoa to feature as an ingredient in various heart disease studies.

Those same friendly flavanols which help your heart will also improve blood flow toward your brain. Clinical trials have shown that flavanol rich cocoa will improve your cerebral blood flow within a couple of hours, particularly within brain regions that control your memory and attention.

Consuming regular doses of cocoa flavanols has been associated with an improvement in performance on tests of processing speed, attentiveness, and memory, and these effects have been shown primarily for older populations and at-risk individuals. It has been suggested that these benefits result from a combination of enhancing blood flow and neuroprotective effects.