Cocoa or Tea?

[1stwahine]

In The Advertiser http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070410/NEWS01/704100355/1001/

Study says try hot cocoa, not tea, to help heart
By John Lauerman
Bloomberg News Service

"A hot mug of cocoa is better homemade medicine for blood pressure and heart disease than a spot of tea, according to an analysis of studies that was released today.

Cocoa, the bean that flavors chocolate, lowers pressure as much as some medications, while neither black nor green tea has much effect on the force of blood on vessel walls, said scientists led by Dirk Taubert, a pharmacologist at the University Hospital of Cologne in Germany.

Blood pressure is measured once when the heart is pumping and again when it relaxes between beats. Measured in milligrams of mercury, the pressure should register 140 during beats and 90 between.

By comparison, average blood pressure was no different among 171 people who drank tea during the studies than among 172 people who didn't drink the beverage. Tea contains a different class of phenols, called flavan-3-ols, than those in cocoa, which are called procyanids.

"Different plant phenols must be differentiated with respect to their blood pressure-lowering potential and thus cardiovascular disease prevention," the authors concluded."So....wat their saying is DAMN IF YOU DO AND dAMN IF YOU DONT!!!!:p

My cholesterol is 246!:eek: I going stick to coffee and ZOCOR!:D

Auntie Lynn

[blueyecicle]

I don't know I like Tea and cocoa but hate coffee.
When I am sick, I drink a cup of hot cocoa in the morning with a shot of butterscotch schnapps and it works really well! Great on sore throats too.

But I like tea to relax during the day.
I guess if they both have downsides I will just keep drinking both!:D

[DannyWilliams]

It depends........

The only time I finding myself sipping on actual Tea is when I am tryin to get RID of a cough... :(

But if I had to choose its bring on da hot cocoa :D


Makes ya feel nice, warm and fuzzy inside :rolleyes:

[1stwahine]

I don't know I like Tea and cocoa but hate coffee.
When I am sick, I drink a cup of hot cocoa in the morning with a shot of butterscotch schnapps and it works really well! Great on sore throats too.


Hey! Blue!! Dat sounds ono! Coco with butterscotch schnapps!:D
Btw: Congratulations!!!;)

Auntie Lynn

[cynsaligia]

cocoa or tea?

first of all, which one, when i ingest it, will have less sugar and fat?

cocoa and chocolate products in america in general are often useless in terms of health benefits bcs of the high fat/sugar content plus the "dutching" process (look for alkali or alkaloids).

by the way, white chocolate is not chocolate. it's cocoa butter flavored with sugar and stuffs. if it doan have BOTH cocoa butter and cocoa powder, it aint chocolate.

i am an absolute chocolate snob. if someone gives me hershey's, i'll take it gratefully but give it to someone else to eat. i eat only high quality chocolate with a good amount of cocoa.

as for tea....i'm sorta a tea snob. if it's free of if my tummy is upset, i'll take lipton, but generally, when i buy tea, i buy the loose stuff from lupicia in ala moana or loose japanese or chinese green teas. my faves are rooibos (which is an african tea without caffeine), green teas with or without rice (i once bought a green tea with blueberries in it that was WONDERFUL cold with sugar and a lil cream, and earl grey or really good english breakfast (not the crap stuff you get from lipton).

[blueyecicle]

(: Thanks auntie.
I am not a tea or chocolate snob. I don't do the cheapo stuff but if it is smooth and dark chocolate I am good.

[timkona]

Whoa Whoa Whoa !!!!!!!!!!

First of all, normal blood pressure is about 120/80, or a little less. With cholesterol under way under 200.

If you are overweight, diabetes, or kidney issues, 140/90 should get you worried. Try laying off the cheese sause, the traffic jam, and the grandkids when they are wound up on sugar.

And by all means, whip up a mug of cocoa, 2 short puffs (@@), and a brisk walk around the block, with a salad (no dressing) upon return.

[kaneohegirl]

I like a nice Darjeling loose leaf tea with a couple of lump an a spot of milk or cream for lazing around reading or something but not being able to sleep is either a nice chamomile tea or nestles goodnight kisses cocao with some pepermint Schnapps mmmmmm yummy gotta try that butterscotch way tho...that sounds great!

[SaRay]

well i work at a coffee/tea store and occasionally will drink coffee as long as it has flavoring..

but i love teas.. my favs
for green: jasmine dragon phoenix pearl hot or iced
for black: earl grey :D

[SaRay]

when im sick i love ginseng peppermint.. the minty smell definetly perks me up!

[beaker]

cocoa or tea?

first of all, which one, when i ingest it, will have less sugar and fat?


Beware of the instant cocoa. I tried drinking it to keep me from snacking one autumn and gained 40 pounds! Maybe the low-sugar low-fat ancient brew would be pretty good for you, though.

[Miulang]

Beware of the instant cocoa. I tried drinking it to keep me from snacking one autumn and gained 40 pounds! Maybe the low-sugar low-fat ancient brew would be pretty good for you, though.
If you're going to drink instant cocoa (http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0846/is_5_22/ai_95540549), make it the Nestle-Carnation low fat/no sugar versions. It has fewer calories and carbs and more calcium than any of the other popular instant cocoa mixes.

I prefer tea. If iced, there's a company called Barnes & Watson--local Seattle company--that makes a stupendous black tea variety called "Tahitian Blend (http://www.perennialtearoom.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=32)" that tastes citrusy with a hint of passion fruit. I absolutely love it when a restaurant I go to serves this tea over ice! I drink all tea unsweetened.

For hot tea, I especially like rose jasmine and some green teas. I'm going to start making green tea souffle cheesecakes with matcha and try my hand at making green tea tiramisu one of these days (it's a dessert fave of mine from a little place called Hiroki's).

Miulang

[cynsaligia]

If you're going to drink instant cocoa (http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0846/is_5_22/ai_95540549), make it the Nestle-Carnation low fat/no sugar versions. It has fewer calories and carbs and more calcium than any of the other popular instant cocoa mixes.


Miulang

blyeeeaaaaauuggghh! LF/NS nestle-carnation gave me gas and it still tasted like crap.

:(

sorry--immature only child spoiled version of me busted out. :o

[Miulang]

blyeeeaaaaauuggghh! LF/NS nestle-carnation gave me gas and it still tasted like crap.

:(

sorry--immature only child spoiled version of me busted out. :o
Hey, I didn't say I drink the stuff!:D If I'm going to drink cocoa, I'll make my own so I can control what goes into the mix!

Miulang

[blueyecicle]

I have a really cool hot cocoa machine. You pour in all the ingredients, Like REAL cocoa and milk or cream and sugar and vanilla.
It spins it all and heats it for 5 minutes, WALA 5 cupps of homeade cocoa.
I got it for 5.00 at WalMart last year on clearance!

[WindwardOahuRN]

I have a really cool hot cocoa machine. You pour in all the ingredients, Like REAL cocoa and milk or cream and sugar and vanilla.
It spins it all and heats it for 5 minutes, WALA 5 cupps of homeade cocoa.
I got it for 5.00 at WalMart last year on clearance!

Oooh. Brand name?

I like to make my own hot cocoa with heavy cream, water, cocoa, sugar, and a little pinch of salt. Sometimes toss in a piece of a chocolate bar or some chocolate kisses.

[blueyecicle]

I like salt in mine too! And cocoa my brother sends from Germany!

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?dest=9999999997&product_id=1894448&sourceid=1500000000000002029470

Mr Coffee. cocomotion machine

[Miulang]

If you want a low-tech, kinda nifty tool to froth up your cocoa, you could get a "molinillo (http://gourmetsleuth.com/pDetail.asp?i=15&p=180&s=1&price=8.95)". The Aztecs and Mayans (and their descendants) are famous for their wizardry with chocolate drinks, and the molinillo is one of the secrets to their success.

Miulang

[WindwardOahuRN]

"Be who you are, and say what you feel, because those who matter don't mind, and those who mind don't matter." --- Dr. Seuss

I love this quote, Muilang. Green eggs and ham, all around!

[cynsaligia]

Hey, I didn't say I drink the stuff!:D If I'm going to drink cocoa, I'll make my own so I can control what goes into the mix!

Miulang

good, bcs i would not have visited the misery i experienced on that chocolate blasphemy upon anyone else.

If you want a low-tech, kinda nifty tool to froth up your cocoa, you could get a "molinillo (http://gourmetsleuth.com/pDetail.asp?i=15&p=180&s=1&price=8.95)". The Aztecs and Mayans (and their descendants) are famous for their wizardry with chocolate drinks, and the molinillo is one of the secrets to their success.

Miulang

low tech but high manual labor. i may be exaggerating, but i saw a show on either food tv or fine living where they worked that sucker for what seemed and eternity--rolling that on cocoa beans for about half an hour--to make just ONE cocoa drink. no thanks--i'll keep to my lazy american ways!

Oooh. Brand name?

I like to make my own hot cocoa with heavy cream, water, cocoa, sugar, and a little pinch of salt. Sometimes toss in a piece of a chocolate bar or some chocolate kisses.

yeah, i wanna buy that fai dolla contraption and make cocoa with heavy cream, too!!!

[blueyecicle]

I see it isn't 5.00 anymore.
I got it on clearance right after Christmas.

[WindwardOahuRN]

I like salt in mine too! And cocoa my brother sends from Germany!

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?dest=9999999997&product_id=1894448&sourceid=1500000000000002029470

Mr Coffee. cocomotion machine

Thanks for the great tip, Blue! :D