Cocoa or green tea can protect you against the negative effects of fatty foods during mental stress, research shows

New research has found that a flavanol-rich cocoa drink can protect the body’s blood vessels from stress, even after eating high-fat foods.

Food choices made 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 impact vascular function and oxygen supply to the brain. Meanwhile, flavanol compounds abundant in cocoa and green tea may protect vascular function during periods of daily stress.

Now, in a new study, the same research team has found that drinking cocoa high in flavanols in combination with a fatty meal can counteract some of the impact of fatty foods and protect the vascular system from stress.

The research was published in the journal on November 18 Food 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 damage health. the vascular recovery of the body after stress. In this study, we wanted to see if adding foods high in flavanol to the fatty meal would alleviate the negative impact of stress in the body.

Rosalind Baynham, first author of the paper, explained: “Flavanols are a type of compound found in various fruits, vegetables, teas and nuts, including berries and raw cacao. Flavanols are known to have health benefits, especially for regulating blood pressure and protecting cardiovascular health.

“We took a group of young, healthy 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.

“After a rest period, we asked participants to complete a mental math test that increased in speed for eight minutes, alerting them if they got an incorrect answer. During the eight-minute rest period and the eight-minute mental math test, we measured blood in the forearm blood flow, cardiovascular activity and tissue oxygenation of the prefrontal cortex (PFC).

“We also measured vascular function using Brachial Flow-mediated dilation (FMD), which is a prognostic measure of future cardiovascular disease risk. This stress task caused a significant increase in heart rate and blood pressure, similar to the stress that you may encounter on a daily basis.”

The cocoa drinks were prepared by dissolving 12 g of cocoa powder in 250 ml of whole milk. The low flavanol powder was an alkaline cocoa powder that was processed to reduce the total flavanols to 5.6 mg per serving; and the high flavanol cocoa powder was a non-alkaline powder, providing a total of 695.0 mg flavanols per serving. Alkalization is a process typically 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 during mental stress reduced vascular function (by 1.29% FMD) and lasted for up to 90 minutes after the stressful event was over.

The findings also showed that the cocoa drink high in flavanols was effective in preventing the decline of vascular function after stress and fat consumption. Flow-mediated dilation was significantly higher 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 weakened cerebral oxygenation in the prefrontal cortex during stress. However, cocoa flavanols did not improve cerebral oxygenation or affect mood.

Dr. Catarina Rendeiro, Assistant Professor of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Birmingham, added: “This research shows that drinking or eating foods high in flavanols can be used as a strategy to reduce some of the impact of poorer dietary choices on the soften blood vessels. This can help us make more informed decisions about what we eat and drink during stressful periods.”

Look at the grocery store for a minimally processed cocoa powder, and if cocoa isn’t quite your drink of choice, there are other ways you can get a higher dose of flavanols, such as green tea, black tea, and berries.

Recently published guidelines for flavanol intake recommend between 400 and 600 mg/day, which can be achieved, for example, by 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 article, added: “Modern life is stressful and the impact of stress on our health and the economy is well documented, so any changes we Being able to protect ourselves against some of the symptoms of stress is positive.

“For those who tend to reach for treats when they’re stressed or rely on convenient foods because they’re working under high pressure or short on time, incorporating some of these small changes can make a real difference.”