Like chocolate milk and hot cocoa? You could be just two glasses a day away from a healthier heart. New information indicates that drinking chocolate milk containing cocoa could help improve abnormal blood lipid and cholesterol levels, which puts people at risk for  atherosclerosis and heart disease.

Dr. Ramón Estruch of the University of Barcelona’s Department of Internal Medicine was the study’s senior author. Estruch and his team asked 42 high-risk men and women age 55 or older to take part in an experiment examining the effects of cocoa on heart disease.

“Cocoa and its derived products, such as chocolate, represent a very rich source of dietary flavonoids, which contain a higher content per serving than tea or red wine,” authors write. “The health benefits associated with cocoa consumption have been related to their capacity to improve the lipid profile and insulin sensitivity, diminish blood pressure, reduce platelet activity and function, and ameliorate endothelial dysfunction.”

Participants were given two sachets of non-fat, sugar-free Cola Cao, a popular Spanish cocoa powder mix similar to Nesquik. They were to mix 20 g (about 1 ½ Tbs.) with 250 ml (~8.5 oz) of skim milk and drink twice daily—once with breakfast, and again with dinner or an afternoon snack. All participants followed a Mediterranean-style diet, but were asked to exclude foods with cocoa, olive oil, red wine, tea, or fruits and vegetables with high polyphenol levels.

Participants did have a slight weight gain of about 1 pound. Total cholesterol and triglyceride levels were slightly (although not significantly) lower.  Cocoa did, however, show anti-inflammatory effects. These were modest compared to those of red wine, but significant nonetheless.

HDL (good cholesterol) levels were also significantly higher after drinking chocolate milk.

“Our results suggest that regular consumption of nutritional doses of cocoa may have an effect on all initial phases of the atherosclerotic process in subjects at high risk of coronary heart disease,” authors wrote. “These anti-inflammatory effects, together with other previously reported effects, including those of antioxidant, anti-platelelet, and positive vascular effects, may contribute to the overall benefits of cocoa consumption against atherosclerosis.”

The study appears in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.