Picture this: You come home from work, where you spilled your coffee, missed a meeting and forgot your lunch.
The only thing on your mind? Chips. Maybe pizza. After all, stress and unhealthy food choices often go hand in hand.
Now, new research from scientists at the University of Birmingham suggests that adding a flavanol-rich cocoa drink to your diet can help protect your vascular health, even after indulging in fatty foods.
The researchers set out to investigate how food choices impact vascular function during periods of stress.
Previous studies show that high-fat foods can impair blood vessel function, affecting oxygen delivery to the brain.
On the other hand, flavanols, a type of flavonoid found in cocoa, green tea, fruits and other plant-based foods, have been shown to have cardiovascular benefits.
In the study, researchers asked participants to consume a high-fat breakfast of two butter croissants, cheddar cheese and whole milk — along with either a high- or low-flavanol cocoa drink.
After a rest, folks completed a mentally stressful math test while the team measured various aspects of cardiac function, like blood flow and brain oxygenation.
The results? Those who drank the low-flavanol cocoa experienced a significant decline in vascular function following the test, lasting up to 90 minutes. However, participants who drank the high-flavanol cocoa showed no such decline, indicating that the flavanols helped protect vascular health.
For the average shopper, finding a cocoa powder that isn't alkalized, a process that lowers flavanol levels, can be tricky. Luckily, the less decadent but more accessible green tea is a good stand-in.
