Chocolate milk is typically flavored with cocoa and sugar. It seems like a dream come true: is chocolate milk good for you? Okay, of course we’re not talking about the chocolate milk you buy in the store or order from a coffee shop. You can make the healthy chocolate milk with pure cocoa powder and almond milk and instead of sugar you just use a little sweetener also.
Chocolate milk is the perfect drink that satisfies all your sugar cravings, is super tasty and warms you up after a cold day. Chocolate milk great way help you to recover from a workout and a good alternative to regular cow’s milk. By drinking chocolate milk regularly will have many more (healthy!) Benefits! Read on to get it:
The Positive Effects of Cocoa
Chocolate milk mainly make with pure cocoa and milk. It is generally known that a piece of dark chocolate is very healthy for you from time to time. But why is that? Cocoa appears to have a blood pressure lowering effect.
Also Chocolate milk contains antioxidants that protect the body against harmful effects from the outside, it makes a substance in your brain whose effect is comparable to being in love and it is said to have a lust-stimulating effect.
The scent of chocolate is said to have a soothing effect on your brain, so it is a win-win situation from all sides.
Source of Chocolate Milk
We have known for some time that chocolate milk – made from cow’s milk – is a good recovery product. It contains important proteins, is liquid, full of BCAAs (the amino acids necessary for muscle recovery) and even electrolytes (such as sodium and potassium) can be found in chocolate milk.
For people without lactose intolerance, a glass of chocolate milk after a workout is a good way to quickly get all these substances in.
Is Chocolate Milk Good for You and Your Health?
Chocolate milk was one of my most favorite drinks for my childhood. A big glass of ice cold chocolate milk in warm summer session! Nothing better than this flavor. As I got older, I want to stay slim and healthy, then I need to leave sweet food and drinking like chocolate milk. So I was very sad that I going to leave it.
But luckily for me that recently been touted as a drink with some healthy benefits. Who want to miss! If you would like to add your favorite childhood drink back with health benefit in your daily diet. Let’s discuss about all health benefits of chocolate milk:
Protein for Muscle Repair
After finish your workout your muscles are strained and torn. If you drink a glass of chocolate milk after workout then you must realize the healthy benefit. Because after workout, your muscles are strained and torn.
So the protein that comes from drinking a glass of chocolate milk is enough to help repair these damaged muscles and get them prepared for the next days.
It Improves the General Health of Your Brain
Research has proven it: drinking hot chocolate improves the general health of your brain! You want to know how, right? Chocolate milk contains so-called flavonoids (organic compounds) that increase the blood supply and the supply of oxygen to your brain. Which helps you to boost your memory!
It Improves Your Mood
We secretly already knew that chocolate makes us super happy. Chocolate contains endorphins that immediately make you feel happier. In fact, it helps to get rid from stress, anxiety and depression. That is of course why we like to drink chocolate milk.
A Source of Anti-Oxidants
Believe it or not, but chocolate milk contains more antioxidants than tea and wine. Hallelujah! Don’t get rid of bars of chocolate, because those oxidants are mainly released by heating the milk.
It Helps You Lose Weight
No, drinking chocolate milk does not make the pounds fly off. Drinking chocolate milk is a good way to indulge in your sugar cravings. A cup of hot chocolate ensures that you leave other sweet treats such as donuts, cakes and bars of chocolate and that ultimately makes losing weight a lot easier and more fun.
Helps to Decrease the Risk of Heart Disease
You read that right: drinking chocolate milk reduces the risk of heart disease. This is because your blood pressure is lowered and therefore your veins flow better. Please note: drink a maximum of two cups a day, otherwise your sugar level will become too high and the effect on heart disease will be greater.
Chocolate Milk for Protein Recovery
That’s right chocolate milk helps your protein recovery, of course. After intensive endurance or strength training, a guideline of 0.8-1.2 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight and 0.2-0.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight applies within 2 hours after exercise.
For someone weighing 70 kg, this equates to 56-84 grams of carbohydrates and 14-28 grams of protein. It is important to keep the intake of fats as low as possible. These have no function for recovery after exercise. You do not need any special shakes or drinks to get your carbohydrates and proteins, you can easily get this from your regular diet.
Although the amount of carbohydrates and proteins correspond to the recommendations, I will not quickly recommend chocolate milk as a recovery drink. It may be an easy way to get your carbohydrates and proteins. But you need to drink a lot of chocolate milk for it, which will provides lot of calories.
However, because you drink it instead of eating it, you experience less satiety than a recovery meal with the same nutrients. In short, not useful if you also want to watch your weight. In addition, the carbohydrates present are mainly sugars. The brown drink even contains more sugar than a glass of cola.
Nutritional Value of Chocolate Milk
A frequently heard comment is that chocolate milk has a perfect ratio of nutrients to serve as a recovery drink. I looked up the nutritional value of regular chocolate milk and light chocolate milk:
| Nutrition Value | Chocolate milk light (100 ml) | Chocolate milk (100 ml) |
| Energy (kcal) | 58 | 87 |
| Protein | 3.2 | 3.2 |
| Carbohydrates | 10.1 | 12.0 |
| Sugars | 9.9 | 11.8 |
| Fat | 0.4 | 2.7 |
| Of which saturated | 0.2 | 1.9 |
If you drink half a liter of regular chocolate milk, it contains 435 kcal, 60 grams of carbohydrates and 16 grams of protein. However, it also contains 13.5 grams of fat.
Light chocolate milk contains 290 kcal per 500 ml, 50 grams of carbohydrates, 16 grams of protein and 2 grams of fat.
Wrap-Up!
Is chocolate milk good for you? Yes we have the answer now! By drinking chocolate milk sometimes gets sugar problem, but it’s actually good for you! If you love to do workout and want keep your fitness healthy and fit you need a good post workout drink, grab an ice cold cup of chocolate milk, and enjoy the goodness. Also chocolate milk contains an optimal ratio of carbohydrates and proteins that are beneficial for protein recovery.
Are you wondering if it’s okay for your child to drink chocolate milk? If your child enjoys drinking chocolate milk, rest easy. Drinking real dairy milk, including chocolate milk, provides many health benefits to kids and can be a part of a healthy diet for them. In fact, taking away the option of flavored milk can actually do more harm than good if it means they stop drinking milk altogether.