![Drinking Hot Chocolate Can Make You Smarter](http://townsquare.media/site/712/files/2020/11/GettyImages-1083034636.jpg?w=980&q=75)
Drinking Hot Chocolate Can Make You Smarter
As winter arrives, you're probably reaching for the hot chocolate packets a little more often than usual, especially if your family has a generations old secret recipe like mine. New studies are suggesting that maybe your brain might be making the smart choice when it has a craving for some silky smooth chocolate drink.
Flavanol, a group of molecules that occur naturally in fruits and vegetables, can be found in grapes, apples, tea, berries, and cocoa. Previous studies have proven that the molecules can improve brain health, and new studies even say they stimulate brain-blood oxygenation levels.
In their study, scientists did brain scans to check oxygen levels of people before and after they drank hot chocolate. They found higher oxygen levels in the brain in all of their participants after the hot chocolate, meaning there is a possibility of better brain health and function after drinking.
“Our results showed a clear benefit for the participants taking the flavanol-enriched drink – but only when the task became sufficiently complicated,” Dr. Catarina Rendeiro, lead author of the study explains. “We can link this with our results on improved blood oxygenation – if you’re being challenged more, your brain needs improved blood oxygen levels to manage that challenge. It also further suggests that flavanols might be particularly beneficial during cognitively demanding tasks”.
Read more at Study Finds
![94.1 KRNA logo](https://townsquare.media/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/KRNAFM.png?w=100)
LOOK: Here are copycat recipes from 20 of the most popular fast food restaurants in America
More From 94.1 KRNA
![Legendary Band Performing in Cedar Rapids This Fall](http://townsquare.media/site/676/files/2024/07/attachment-GettyImages-1499344407.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![‘24’ Film ‘In Early Development’](http://townsquare.media/site/442/files/2024/07/attachment-24-movie.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Watch Hank Azaria Try to Crack a Royal Guard With ‘Simpsons’ Voices](http://townsquare.media/site/442/files/2024/07/attachment-azaria-guard.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![‘Dune: Prophecy’ Series Sets Premiere Date With New Trailer](http://townsquare.media/site/442/files/2024/07/attachment-emily-watson-as-valya-harkonnen.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 Episode 5 Breakdown: Every Easter Egg You Missed](http://townsquare.media/site/442/files/2024/07/attachment-matt-smith_0.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![This Is The Salary A Family In Iowa Needs For Basic Survival In 2024](http://townsquare.media/site/711/files/2024/07/attachment-Untitled-design-2024-07-15T090903.319.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![ZZ Top Bassist Shares Biggest Regret About Viral Instrument](http://townsquare.media/site/366/files/2024/07/attachment-ZZ-Tops-Elwood-Francis-With-17-String-Bass.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![‘Alien: Romulus’ Trailer: The Horror Franchise Goes Back To Its Roots](http://townsquare.media/site/442/files/2024/07/attachment-romulus_dtrl4_v16_s240_t_240528_g_r709f.089276L.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Giancarlo Esposito Says Fans Haven’t Guessed His ‘Captain America 4’ Role](http://townsquare.media/site/442/files/2024/07/attachment-imgjpgaw1hz2vzms8ymdi0lza1lze1lze3mtu3njc1mtrjcm9wcgvkmzy5nxgyndaxlmpwzyyxmdawjjy1ma.jpg?w=980&q=75)