When the going gets cold, the cold get… chocolate. Quite literally! Chocolate does more than just provide comfort and heat. Scientific research shows that chocolate is a cold weather antidote that counters icy temperatures and freezing limbs. It can even help prevent the common cold.

Taking the Chill Out

For instance, did you know that when temperatures plunge far below freezing – we’re talking 60°F degrees below zero – chocolate can provide you with essential nourishment? This cold weather antidote heats you up and provides you with the energy required to battle snowy blizzards.

Will Steger is a modern-day adventurer who gained fame by leading the first dogsled expeditions to reach the North Pole and cross Antarctica. Steger never ventures into subzero climates without a supply of chocolate as part of his team’s daily ration. In radically cold climates, your life depends upon generating enough body heat to keep from turning into a human ice sculpture. One of the best foods at providing fuel over a sustained period is chocolate.

At bone-chilling temperatures, milk chocolate melts more easily in your mouth. However, Steger prefers the health benefits of dark chocolate. He mixes a few squares with dried milk and a Thermos cup of hot water. This delicious cold weather antidote raises his body temperature and improves his mood, It also gives him an energy boost that lasts for several hours.

Of course, you can achieve the same benefits with far greater ease and comfort (and less risk of frostbite). Just curl up in front of a fire – or under a quilt – with a cup of hot, frothy drinking chocolate from Delysia Chocolatier.

Conquering the Common Cold

Even if you’re not planning on undertaking any Arctic treks this winter, chocolate can help you avoid one of the season’s most frequent – and dreaded – visitors: the common cold. Scientists recently discovered that theobromine, a chemical found in cocoa, will block the cough reflex in people with colds. This means that eating chocolate can reduce the intensity and length of coughs. Research also showed that this theobromine was a more effective cough cure than codeine.

Other studies have found evidence that dark chocolate is a natural anti-cough agent. If consumed regularly, it can actually prevent coughing. Delysia has many edible options for keeping colds and coughs at bay, including dark molded chocolates and chocolate barks. Happily, all are decidedly more delicious than your average cough remedy!