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A new study finds drinking cocoa is not just the popular choice, it may also be the “smart” choice.
The study examined 18 healthy men between 18 and 40 years-old.
Before testing to see how flavanols (which are in hot cocoa) affect their brains,
researchers challenged each participant’s blood circulation
by having them breathe in five percent carbon dioxide.
That’s roughly 100 times the normal amount in air and
produces an effect called hypercapnia in the body.
Researchers tracked how the group responded to the carbon dioxide after
drinking flavanols (which are in hot cocoa).
Each man received these tests twice, before and after having their cocoa.
Researchers note that not every person in the study benefited from extra flavanol in their cocoa.
The study appears in the journal Scientific Reports.