Just in time for the holidays, some heartwarming news.
Flavanol Rich Cocoa And green tea It can also protect your cardiovascular system from stress after eating fatty junk food, A new study has revealed,
“We know that when people are stressed, they become tending toward high-fat foods“said lead study author Caterina Rendeiro, assistant professor in nutritional sciences at the University of Birmingham in the UK. “We have previously shown that fatty foods can impair the body’s vascular recovery from stress.”
Rendeiro’s team wanted to see whether adding a high-flavanol diet to a fatty diet would reduce the effects of stress. Recent studies have shown that flavanols can Reduce risk of type 2 diabetes And dementia,
For the new research, a group of young, healthy adults consumed two croissants with salted butter, 1 ½ slices of cheddar cheese and a high-flavanol or low-flavanol cocoa drink for breakfast.
The drink was prepared by dissolving 12 grams of cocoa powder in a cup of milk. The low-flavanol powder had 5.6 mg of flavanols per serving, while the high-flavanol cocoa powder had 695 mg of flavanols.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends Adults consume 400 to 600 mg of flavanols per day.
“Flavanols are a type of compound found in various fruits, vegetables, teas and berries, and nuts, including unprocessed cocoa,” explains Rosalind Benham, first author of the new paper. “Flavanols are particularly known to have health benefits controlling blood pressure And protecting heart health.”
Study participants were allowed to rest after breakfast before starting the stressful math test.
As they answered as many questions as possible in eight minutes, researchers measured and assessed their blood flow and oxygen levels in the brain. risk of heart disease,
“This stressful task caused a significant increase in heart rate and blood pressure, which is similar to the stress you encounter in daily life,” Benham said.
The team found that consuming fatty foods along with a low-flavanol drink when mentally stressed reduced circulatory system function, an effect that lasted for up to 90 minutes after the stressful episode.
Blood flow was significantly better with high-flavanol cocoa compared to low-flavanol cocoa both half an hour and 90 minutes after the stress.
However, cocoa flavanols did not improve oxygen delivery to the brain or affect mood.
The findings were published on Monday Journal Food and Function,
“This research suggests that drinking or eating foods rich in flavanols could be used as a strategy to reduce some of the effects of poor food choices on the vascular system,” Rendeiro said. “This may help us make more informed decisions about what we eat and drink during stressful periods.”
Rendeiro recommends minimally processed cocoa powder – and if cocoa isn’t your thing, you can try green tea, black tea or blackberries.
