Is Drinking Chocolate Milk Often Dangerous? Dietitian Explains Pros And Cons

Illustration is it safe to drink chocolate milk often (Unsplash/The Nguyen)

YOGYAKARTA – Chocolate milk is preferred because it offers a delicious taste compared to plain milk. But back to the taste of each person. So is it safe to drink chocolate milk frequently? According to dietitian and nutritionist Cynthia Sasss, MPH., RD., chocolate milk doesn't only offer childhood nostalgia when you bring chocolate milk for a family trip. There are a number of aspects that are quite complicated if summed up in one benefit, said Sass, reported by Health, Tuesday, July 12.

In an 8-ounce unit, chocolate milk provides 150 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 23 grams of carbohydrates with an additional 10 grams of added sugar, and 8 grams of protein. If you count other nutrients, it contains 20 percent of the daily value for calcium, 30 percent for the B vitamins riboflavin, 10 percent potassium, and 15 percent vitamins A and D.

Although each product has a different size in the nutritional content, but chocolate milk provides several important nutrients. Well, it should be noted again that the daily nutritional intake provides a third of the sugar requirement. According to the USDA database, every 8-ounce cup of chocolate milk provides 7.4 ounces of water, which helps hydrate the body.

It's different if the product uses chocolate syrup to make its own chocolate milk. This will depend on how much syrup is used. Because in one tablespoon of chocolate syrup, contains 10 grams of sugar.

Illustration is it safe to drink chocolate milk often (Unsplash/Ishan Sardana)

Many studies explore the benefits of drinking milk. But not many have explored the benefits or harms of chocolate milk. A 2018 study from the British Medical Journal (BMJ), found no evidence of a protective effect between dairy-derived calcium intake and fracture risk. The older study also found that higher dairy intake was not associated with a lower fracture risk.

On the one hand, many people consider chocolate milk to be a sweet treat. But it is also referred to as a recovery drink. As a certified sports dietitian, Sass cites a study conducted by the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. In the study, researchers asked 9 trained male cyclists to do interval training, rest for 4 hours, and continue cycling until exhausted. After the first training session, and two hours later, the cyclists consumed one of three chocolate milk drinks.

Illustration is it safe to drink chocolate milk often (Unsplash/Dmytro Ostapenko)

Cyclists who drink chocolate milk take longer to reach exhaustion. The researchers then concluded that chocolate milk helps in effective recovery between two strenuous workouts.

A recent study explored what ten wall climbers experienced when drinking milk versus water as a recovery aid after a high-intensity climb. Twenty minutes later, participants drank chocolate milk or water. Climbers who drink chocolate milk, performance, duration, and mileage increase. In addition, they are also less likely to feel muscle pain.

It's an important note, that comparing chocolate milk and other drinks that don't have the same nutritional content, of course, needs to be questioned, explained Sass. Message Sass, what happens to chocolate milk has to do with the amount of fluid, micro, and macro-nutrients needed for recovery after exercise. Cow's milk also contains a good amount of leucine, and an amino acid needed to trigger muscle protein synthesis.

Drinking chocolate milk isn't bad, but it should be included in your diet. Chocolate milk isn't the only drink for recovery either. Well, when compared to ice cream and brownies, chocolate milk may provide more nutrition.