A new study has found that increasing the consumption of flavanols could protect you from cardiovascular events such as heart disease, stroke, and thrombosis, induced by mental stress.
Researchers from the University of Birmingham’s School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences have discovered that “blood vessels were able to function better during mental stress when people were given a cocoa drink containing high levels of flavanols than when drinking a non-flavanol enriched drink,” according to Science Daily.
Endothelium, a thin layer of cells lining the heart and blood vessels, helps to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney failure, tumor growth, thrombosis, and other severe viral infectious diseases.
Mental stress could have a negative effect on the function of blood vessels.
The study, published in the journal Nutrients, examined the effects of flavanol-rich cocoa on vascular dysfunction caused by stress.
Lead author Dr. Catarina Rendeiro explained, “We found that drinking flavanol-rich cocoa can be an effective dietary strategy to reduce temporary impairments in endothelial function following mental stress and also improve blood flow during stressful episodes.”
“Flavanols are extremely common in a wide range of fruit and vegetables,” she added. “By utilizing the known cardiovascular benefits of these compounds during periods of acute vascular vulnerability (such as stress) we can offer improved guidance to people about how to make the most of their dietary choices during stressful periods.”
The study participants were given a flavanol-rich cocoa beverage 90 minutes before completing a mental stress task.
Based on the participants’ forearm blood flow and cardiovascular activity, the investigators discovered that blood vessel function was less impaired when the participants drank high-flavanol cocoa, according to Science Daily. They also found that flavanols improve blood flow during mental stress.
Dr. Rendeiro explained, “Our findings are significant for everyday diet, given that the daily dosage administered could be achieved by consuming a variety of foods rich in flavanols — particularly apples, black grapes, blackberries, cherries, raspberries, pears, pulses, green tea, and unprocessed cocoa.” “This has important implications for measures to protect the blood vessels of those individuals who are more vulnerable to the effects of mental stress,” she added.
