Researchers from Clarkson University as well as the University of Georgia have recently studied the effects of caffeinated versus not caffeinated brewed cocoa on our attention spans. The results were quite interesting!
The results from this study were published in BMC Nutrition and showed that the combination of fatigue fighting coffee and cocoa that reduces stress was the best possible combination for boosting one’s attention span. This means if you don’t already partake in the consumption of mocha you may want to start. You see cocoa increases the cerebral blood flow that works to increase cognition and attention and caffeine by itself can increase anxiety, however, together they counter one another for the best results possible.
According to this study, the cocoa lessens the caffeine’s anxiety-producing effects. This study took a year to complete and in this researchers had participants drink brewed cocoa with and without caffeine. They used a placebo with neither caffeine nor cocoa and tested the effects by evaluating the subjects moods and ability to perform cognitive tasks. The study was also something called a double blind study which is a study in which the participants and the researchers are unaware of which substance is being tested.
Ali Boolani of Clarkson University says that this study was fun and that the results are without a doubt promising. The group will be doing follow up studies for this at Clarkson in order to assess natural caffeine versus synthetic caffeine and he is quite excited about those. This may be the bit of information you need to get a coffee maker set up at work. If you are feeling a bit sluggish don’t just go for coffee make sure you aim for mocha the cocoa makes a huge difference!
For a healthy homemade mocha, you will need:
Ingredients:
Koffee Kult Dark Roast coffee, made as two espresso shots or brewed very strong,
1 tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder,
1 packet stevia,
1/4 tsp. coconut oil and
1 1/2 to 2 cups unsweetened coconut milk (from a carton) or your favorite milk.
Directions:
To make the mocha, brew the espresso or brew a strong cup of coffee. Combine the coffee with 1 tbs. cocoa powder, 1/4 tsp. coconut oil and froth to combine. If you don’t have a frother, you can also use an immersion or bullet style blender or small whisk to ensure the coconut oil gets blended well in with the coffee. Add the stevia and stir again.
You will want to microwave your coconut milk for 2 minutes on high. Froth with a hand frother or steam with the attachment on your espresso machine. Your immersion blender will also work well!
Pour the coconut milk over the chocolate espresso mixture. You may want to top this with shaved unsweetened chocolate or coconut whipped cream. Enjoy!