Is Chocolate Milk Good For You, or Bad?
Chocolate milk is one of the most popular drinks among adults and children alike. People love it because it tastes great and provides them with energy during their workday. However, there are some things that you need to know before deciding whether it’s good for you.
The Benefits Of ChocoMilk:
It contains protein which helps in building muscle mass. It also has vitamins and minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus.
These nutrients support bone health and help prevent osteoporosis. It is also rich in antioxidants which may reduce your risk of developing certain types of cancer.
There are other health benefits associated with chocolate milk too. It contains caffeine which improves alertness and concentration levels.
There is also fiber which reduces blood sugar spikes and may help control diabetes mellitus. It also contains vitamin B6, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B3), pantothenic acid (B5) and biotin. These nutrients play a vital role in helping your body convert food into energy and may help prevent certain types of diabetes.
The potential risk factors are not just related to the nutrients, but also to the sugar and calories present in milk. If you drink too much chocolate milk, you may suffer from weight gain which increases your risk of developing heart disease and high blood pressure.
Some research has linked a high intake of full-fat dairy to a higher risk of ovarian cancer.
The key is moderation. The beverage is high in sugar and carbohydrates, so you should not drink it in addition to your daily recommended intake of sugars and carbs.
There are some concerns about it having a negative impact on your dental health due to its high content of sugar. However, this can be somewhat nullified by rinsing your mouth with water or chewing sugar-free gum after drinking milk.
Sources & references used in this article:
Sensory optimization of a powdered chocolate milk formula by G Hough, R Sánchez, T Barbieri, E Martínez – Food quality and preference, 1997 – Elsevier
Chocolate Milk, Por Favor! by M Dismondy – 2015 – cardinalrulepress.com
Sugar reduction of skim chocolate milk and viability of alternative sweetening through lactose hydrolysis by XE Li, K Lopetcharat, Y Qiu, MA Drake – Journal of Dairy Science, 2015 – Elsevier
Sensory acceptability of chocolate with inulin by T Golob, E Micovic, J Bertoncelj… – Acta agriculturae …, 2004 – researchgate.net
Chocolate milk in schools by D Dooley, A Patel, LA Schmidt – Pediatrics, 2015 – Am Acad Pediatrics
Chocolate Milk Sweetened With Stevia: Acceptance by Children by MR Verruma-Bernardi, K Lee, T Palchak… – J …, 2015 – pdfs.semanticscholar.org
Preadolescent preference for chocolate milk sweetened with stevia and sucrose: Pilot test by MR Verruma-Bernardi, K Lee… – Journal of Culinary Science …, 2014 – Taylor & Francis
Parents’ and children’s acceptance of skim chocolate milks sweetened by monk fruit and stevia leaf extracts by XE Li, K Lopetcharat, MA Drake – Journal of Food Science, 2015 – Wiley Online Library
Authors’ Response: Reply to: Chocolate Milk in Schools by R Murray, J Bhatia, M Corkins – Pediatrics, 2015 – Am Acad Pediatrics
