more hot cocoa, please
Health Hint from haikuEsq: A Cornell University study recently found that a cup of cocoa has more than twice the antioxidants of a glass of red wine and three times more than a cup of green tea. (infoAging.com, Cocoa’s Surprising Health Benefits, by Chang Y. Lee, Ph.D., Chairman of the Department of Food Sciences and Technology, Cornell University’s New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva, NY; and this pointer from SeniorJournal.com).
Here are the numbers on antioxidant content:
- Cup of Cocoa – 1200 mg.
- Glass of red wine – 480 mg.
- Cup of green tea – 330 mg.
If you’re wondering about convenient hot cocoa at the office, food chemist Yee says”I think that any premium commercial cocoa powder product would provide a nutritionally rich drink teeming with a relatively high amount of antioxidants. “
This very good news for we kids of every age (and especially tea-phobes like skepticalEsq).
Around the e&hEsq household, we use fat-free half-n-half for rich cocoa or coffee (with artificial sweeteners), to avoid worrying about clogged arteries or out-grown britches. And, since we read Walter religiously, we never serve the stuff overheated.
I’m going to stick with red wine myself, David, but you are certainly performing a valuable service here by disclosing the healthful qualities to be had in a warm frothy cup of chocolatey goodness. Yum.
Comment by George Wallace — February 21, 2004 @ 1:15 pm
George, I’ve now given you an excellent reason to drink twice as much red wine!! No thanks are needed.
Comment by David Giacalone — February 21, 2004 @ 1:19 pm