Scientists discover how a cup of hot chocolate could actually be good for us when we're stressed

Chocolate is something we generally think of as junk food but its key ingredient is actually very healthy.

The problem is when consumed as bars or in a mug of hot chocolate it’s usually been heavily processed and combined with a host of unhealthy additives, sugar and fats. However minimally processed hot cocoa should contain a decent amount of cacao powder, which is the dried and fermented seeds of the cacao tree.

These seeds are native to the Amazon but have been used in Central and South America for over 2,000 years. Cacao is a known mood enhancer, can combat tiredness and fatigue is also good for our gut bacteria. It is very nutrient dense and mineral rich. It contains the key compound flavenols which is known to do the following:

• Reduce blood pressure

• Improve blood flow to the heart and brain

• Prevent blood clots

• Increase the elasticity of blood vessels

Birmingham University researchers found that drinking a certain form of hot chocolate boosted blood vessel function, helped with stress and mitigated some of the impact fatty food had on the body.

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Author Jet Veldhuijzen van Zanten, professor of biological psychology at Birmingham University, said: "Modern life is stressful and the impact of stress on our health and the economy has been well documented, so any changes we can make to protect ourselves from some of the symptoms of stress is positive. For those who tend to reach for a treat when stressed or depend on convenient food because they work high-pressure jobs or are time-poor, incorporating some of these small changes could make a real difference."

To mimic the busy lives of people who tend to consume convenience food at times of stress the study gave 23 healthy adults two butter croissants with salted butter, 1.5 slices of cheddar cheese and 250ml whole milk for breakfast, and either a high-flavanol cocoa or a low-flavanol cocoa drink. After an eight-minute rest period participants were asked to complete a mental maths test which increased in speed for eight minutes, alerting them when they got an answer wrong. Scientists measured blood flow in the forearm, heart activity and oxygen in the body.

They found that the stress task induced significant increases in heart rate and - similar to the stress that may be encountered in daily life. Eating the fatty foods with the low-flavanol drink when stressed reduced blood vessel function, and lasted up to 90 minutes after the stressful event was over. However the cocoa drink high in flavanols prevented the decline in blood vessel function following stress and fat consumption, according to the findings published in the journal Food And Function found.

Dr Catarina Rendeiro, assistant professor in nutritional sciences at Birmingham University, said: "This research shows that drinking or eating a food high in flavanols can be used as a strategy to mitigate some of the impact of poorer food choices on the vascular system.”

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Healthy flavonoids are found in many fruits and vegetables and flavonols are a sub-class of these found in green tea, berries, apples, as well as cocoa. So whether your hot chocolate is healthy depends on the type of hot chocolate. Two tablespoons of raw cacao powder provides more than 400mg of flavonoids, while the same amount of cocoa powder may contain only 78mg.

Nutritional therapist Sarah Brookes, who was not involved in the research, said: “I would suggest buying raw cacao and making your own hot drink with milk and sweeten it with a teaspoon or two of honey. That’s a nutrient dense and unprocessed alternative to commercial, sugar-laden hot chocolate drinks. If you’re buying ready made hot chocolate in the supermarket I would suggest avoiding the big brands and looking for chocolate specialists or artisanal brands that are more likely to contain raw cacao. But always check the packaging.”