New research has found that a flavanol-rich cocoa drink can protect the body’s vasculature against stress even after eating high-fat foods.
Food choices during periods of stress can influence the effect of stress on cardiovascular health. For example, recent research from the University of Birmingham found that high-fat foods can negatively affect vascular function and oxygen delivery to the brain, while flavanol compounds found in abundance in cocoa and green tea They can protect vascular function during periods of everyday stress.
Now, in a new study, the same research team has found that drinking high-flavanol cocoa in combination with a fatty meal can counteract some of the impact of fatty foods and protect the vascular system from stress.
The research has been published today (18th November) in the magazine Nutrition and Function.
Dr Catarina Rendeiro, assistant professor of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Birmingham and lead author, said: “We know that when people are stressed, they tend to gravitate towards high-fat foods. We have previously shown that fatty foods can affect the health of the body. vascular recovery from stress In this study, we wanted to see if adding a flavanol-rich food to fatty food would alleviate the negative impact of stress on the body.”
Rosalind Baynham, first author of the paper, explained: “Flavanols are a type of compound found in different fruits, vegetables, tea and nuts, including berries and raw cocoa. Flavanols are known to have health benefits. , particularly to regulate blood pressure and protect cardiovascular health.
“We took a group of healthy young adults and gave them for breakfast two butter croissants with 10 g of salted butter, 1.5 slices of cheddar cheese and 250 ml of whole milk, and a high-flavanol cocoa drink or a low-flavanol cocoa drink. In a rest period, we asked participants to complete a speed-increasing mental calculation test for eight minutes, alerting them when they responded incorrectly during the 8-minute rest period and the test. 8-minute mental arithmetic, we measure forearm blood flow. Cardiovascular activity and tissue oxygenation of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) future risk of cardiovascular disease. This stress task induced significant increases in heart rate and blood pressure, similar to stress you may encounter in daily life.”
Cocoa drinks were prepared by dissolving 12 g of cocoa powder in 250 ml of whole milk. The low-flavanol powder was an alkalized cocoa powder that was processed to reduce total flavanols to 5.6 mg per serving; and the high-flavanol cocoa powder was a non-alkalized powder that provided 695.0 mg of total flavanols per serving. Alkalization is a process commonly used in chocolate making to improve flavor, but unfortunately it reduces the amount of flavanols.
The team confirmed that consuming fatty foods with the low-flavanol drink when mentally stressed reduced vascular function (by 1.29% of FMD) and lasted up to 90 minutes after the stressful event ended. The findings also showed that the flavanol-rich cocoa drink was effective in preventing the decline in vascular function following stress and fat consumption. Brachial flow-mediated dilation was significantly greater after high-flavanol cocoa compared to low-flavanol cocoa 30 and 90 minutes after the stressful period. The team had also found in their previous work that eating high-fat foods attenuated brain oxygenation in the prefrontal cortex during stress. However, cocoa flavanols did not improve brain oxygenation or affect mood.
Dr Catarina Rendeiro, Associate Professor of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Birmingham, added: “This research shows that drinking or eating a flavanol-rich food can be used as a strategy to mitigate some of the impact of poor food choices. in the vascular system. This can help us make more informed decisions about what we eat and drink during stressful periods.”
Look for minimally processed cocoa powder at the grocery store, and if cocoa isn’t your beverage of choice, there are other ways to get a higher dose of flavanols, including green tea, black tea, and berries. Recently published guidelines for flavanol intake recommend between 400 and 600 mg/day, which can be achieved by, for example, consuming two cups of black or green tea, or a combination of berries, apples and high-quality cocoa.
Jet Veldhuijzen van Zanten, Professor of Biological Psychology at the University of Birmingham and author of this paper, added: “Modern life is stressful and the impact of stress on our health and economy has been well documented, so any changes we can do in Protecting ourselves from some of the symptoms of stress is positive For those who tend to reach for a treat when they are stressed or rely on convenient foods because they work in very stressful jobs or are short on time, incorporating some of these small changes could mean. a great advance. real difference.”