Cocoa Keeps the Doctor Away

News Note

By Darren Buford

Originally published in Body Sense magazine, Autumn/Winter 2004.

As the days become colder and there’s a tendency to want to bundle up next to a warm fire with a cup of hot cocoa, isn’t it nice to know that this liquid concoction can help stave off disease? According to researchers from Cornell University, cocoa contains antioxidants that can help protect against heart disease and cancer. In fact, the amount of phenols and flavonoids in one cup of hot cocoa contains more antioxidant power than red wine, green tea, or black tea. And believe it or not cocoa, unlike chocolate, is relatively low in saturated fat, and therefore not destructive to your diet during these hibernating months.