Can You Fight Inflammation by Drinking Hot Chocolate?

When the seasons start to grow chillier — and the infatuation with pumpkin spice begins to fade — warm beverage lovers are game-on for a steamy and creamy mug of hot chocolate. Many high-end retailers are touting dark drinking chocolate products — mixes that contain cocoa beans, cocoa butter, and sometimes cocoa powder, that you combine with a milk of your choice — these days. But does drinking chocolate have the host of health benefits, including helping to fight inflammation, that dark chocolate does?

Great news, chocolate lovers, it seems as though it does: “I have not seen anything that indicates a pitfall or problem with drinking dark chocolate drinks for health benefits,” says Lona Sandon, PhD, RDN, an associate professor in the department of clinical nutrition at UT Southwestern in Dallas, who also has rheumatoid arthritis. But the type of chocolate drink you sip and enjoy will make all the difference.

Here’s where anti-inflammatory dark chocolate can help: It contains phytonutrients known as flavonoids, which are health-boosting antioxidants found in certain plants.

“Flavanols, a specific type of flavonoid, are a compound found in cacao, the raw cocoa bean,” says Dr. Sandon. “They have biological activity that helps combat inflammation in the inflammatory pathways, so it can help block some of those pathways and slow down the inflammation.”

While these beverages are certainly trendy, not all products are created equal. In order to reap any health benefits, “you have to look for products that are made with the right chocolate, like dark chocolate, not milk chocolate,” says Sandon. “It won’t have that sweetness. The taste will be a little bitter.”

The healthiest dark chocolate typically has around 70 percent cacao (or higher), but Sandon says the percentage doesn’t matter as much as the processing technique used to make it.

Here’s how to do that detective work: Look at the ingredients list on whichever dark drinking chocolate product you want to imbibe. Hot cocoa served in cafés most likely won’t have the information on how the chocolate was processed — although it wouldn’t hurt to ask — but the ones you purchase to make at home should.

“What you need to look for on the label is whether or not it was treated with alkali in the processing of it,” says Sandon. The ingredients list might say: “cocoa (processed with alkali)” or “cocoa (alkali).” “It won’t be right on the front of the box,” says Sandon, “but on the back in the fine print. Manufacturers are expected to disclose that, unless the product is sold as a supplement, which may not have the same requirement.”

If you can’t find a dark drinking chocolate brand that has the essential no-alkali credentials, not to worry. It’s not terribly complicated to concoct your own dark chocolate drink right at home. The basic technique is to melt dark chocolate bars and add water, cow’s milk, or plant-based milks, such as oat or almond milk, to taste. “A double boiler will help you not burn it, which affects the flavor,” Sandon says.

If you don’t have the time or equipment for melting with a double boiler, it’s also possible to turn inflammation-fighting dark chocolate into liquid in the microwave. The trick is to melt it slowly. “Start by melting the chocolate at 30-second intervals,” Sandon says. “Stir it, and then add a little more time so you don’t burn it.”

• Dark drinking chocolate, made with at least 70 percent cacao and processed without alkali, may provide anti-inflammatory benefits due to its high flavanol content. This makes it a potentially beneficial addition to a diet focused on managing inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.
• When choosing drinking chocolate, carefully read the ingredients to ensure it hasn’t been processed with alkali, as this reduces the beneficial flavanols.
• Creating your own dark chocolate drink at home allows you to control the ingredients. Melt high-quality dark chocolate or use high-flavanol cocoa powder, mixed with the liquid of your choice, to tailor the blend to your nutritional needs.
• Although dark drinking chocolate can offer health benefits, remember that it often contains sugar and saturated fat, which should be consumed in moderation, particularly if you are managing weight or rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.