Good news for hot chocolate fans – new study reveals cocoa can protect you from the effects of fatty foods
Flavanol-rich cocoa can help protect the nervous system during stress, even after eating a high-fat diet, according to new research from the University of Birmingham .
The findings, published in the journal Food & Worksuggest that the combination of flavanols and fatty foods may reduce some of the negative cardiovascular effects of stress.
Remind me, what are flavanols? Natural ingredients found in foods such as cocoa, green tea, berries and nuts.
Research
A research team at the University of Birmingham has previously shown that fatty foods can impair the recovery of the body’s nerves from stress.
In this study, they looked at whether adding flavanol-rich foods to fatty foods would reduce the negative impact of stress on the body.
Dr Catarina Rendeiro, associate professor of Nutritional Sciences and lead author of the study, explained: ‘We know that when people are stressed, they tend to gravitate towards fatty foods. In this study, we wanted to see if adding flavanol-rich foods to fatty foods would reduce the negative impact of stress on the body.’
Method
The participants (a group of healthy young adults) were given a high-fat breakfast – two butter croissants with 10g of salted butter, 1.5 slices of cheddar cheese and 250ml whole milk – either high flavanol cocoa or other low flavanol varieties.
They then completed a mental math test designed to induce mental stress (it increased in speed over eight minutes, warning them when they got the answer wrong), during which the researchers measured cardiovascular responses. of blood.
Two cocoa drinks are prepared by dissolving 12g of cocoa powder in 250ml of whole milk. The low flavanol powder was an alkaline cocoa powder that was used to reduce the total flavanols to 5.6mg per serving, while the high flavanol cocoa powder was made from a small amount of powdered cocoa powder. non-alkaline, with 695mg flavanols per serving.
Results
- Cocoa containing flavanols prevented the decrease in nerve activity: Participants who ate high flavanol cocoa had significantly better blood vessel function.
- Effects of saturated fat: Those who ate the fatty food with the low flavanol drink felt less stressed for up to 90 minutes after the stressful event ended.
- Cerebral oxygenation: Flavanols did not significantly improve brain oxygenation or affect mood during stress.
What does this mean for us?
Dr Catarina Rendeiro, associate professor of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Birmingham, said that choosing foods or drinks high in flavanols could provide an effective strategy to counteract the effects of stress: ‘This study shows that drinking or eating foods containing flavanols. can be used as a strategy to reduce some of the impact of poor food choices on the cardiovascular system. This can help us make more informed decisions about what we eat and drink during stressful times.’
Co-author Jet Veldhuijzen van Zanten, professor of Biological Psychology at the University of Birmingham, added that any changes we can make to protect ourselves from some of the symptoms of stress are good. ‘For those who tend to seek treatment when they are stressed or rely on a healthy diet because they work very hard jobs or are poor on time, incorporating some of these small changes can make a real difference. ‘
Important point
Small dietary adjustments during times of stress can support cardiovascular health, even when eating a healthy diet.
If you want to increase your flavanol production, low-fat cocoa powder is a great option to reach for. Other sources include green tea, black tea, berries and apples.
The guidelines recommend consuming 400-600mg of flavanols every day – which you can meet with two cups of tea or a mixture of fruits containing flavanols and cocoa.
Other Nutrition Facts
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