Cocoa Flavanols Protect Vascular Health During Stressful Meals

Recent research from the University of Birmingham has revealed an intriguing way to protect your vascular health from the stress of a high-fat meal.

It turns out that a cocoa drink loaded with flavanols can help stave off some of the negative effects that those indulgent foods can have on your blood vessels.

The connection between what we eat and our heart health, especially under stress, has become a hot topic in nutritional science.

Previous studies have shown that high-fat diets can mess with how our blood vessels function, limiting oxygen delivery to the brain when the pressure is on.

However, flavanols—natural compounds mainly found in cocoa and green tea—have emerged as defenders of vascular integrity during these everyday stressors.

Study Findings and Methodology

In their latest study published in the journal Food and Function, the research team discovered that consuming a flavanol-rich cocoa beverage alongside a fatty meal could significantly cushion the blow to vascular health.

This finding is particularly relevant as many people tend to gravitate towards high-fat comfort foods during stressful times.

Dr. Catarina Rendeiro, an Assistant Professor in Nutritional Sciences and the study’s lead author, explained that the aim was to see if incorporating high-flavanol foods into a fatty meal could help mitigate stress-related cardiovascular issues.

First author Rosalind Baynham went deeper into the benefits of flavanols, which are also found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and unprocessed cocoa.

These compounds are known for their ability to help regulate blood pressure and support overall heart health.

The experiment involved young, healthy participants enjoying a breakfast that included butter croissants, cheddar cheese, and whole milk.

They were given either a high-flavanol cocoa drink or a low-flavanol version before facing an eight-minute mental math challenge—a task designed to induce stress while researchers monitored their heart activity, blood flow, and oxygen levels in the brain.

The study utilized the Brachial Flow-Mediated Dilatation (FMD) technique to assess vascular function, a crucial marker for cardiovascular disease risk.

The results were telling: stress sent heart rates and blood pressure spiking, mirroring what many of us experience in our daily lives.

As for the cocoa drinks, they were crafted from either non-alkalized cocoa powder, rich in flavanols, or an alkalized version that significantly reduced flavanol content.

The high-flavanol drink packed a staggering 695 mg of flavanols compared to just 5.6 mg in the low-flavanol option.

The findings were clear.

Participants who had fatty foods with the low-flavanol drink experienced a 1.29% drop in vascular function as measured by FMD, effects lingering for 90 minutes post-stressor.

Conversely, those who enjoyed the high-flavanol cocoa saw no decline in vascular function after stress.

The improvements were striking, especially noted 30 and 90 minutes after the challenge.

Interestingly, while it has been shown that high-fat diets can disrupt oxygen flow to the brain, the flavanols didn’t appear to impact oxygen levels or mood in this study.

Practical Implications and Recommendations

This breakthrough hints at the promise of flavanol-rich foods as a viable strategy to navigate the cardiovascular risks of poorer dietary choices during stressful moments.

Embracing these foods could guide people toward healthier decisions, particularly in challenging situations.

Shoppers should look for minimally processed cocoa powders at their local stores.

For those seeking variety, flavanol-rich alternatives can be found in green tea, black tea, and berries.

Aiming for a daily flavanol intake of 400 to 600 mg can be accomplished with just two cups of black or green tea or a mix of berries, apples, and high-quality cocoa.

Professor Jet Veldhuijzen van Zanten, a co-author of the study, noted the wide-ranging negative impacts of stress on health and the economy.

Embracing simple changes in dietary habits could significantly ease some of the symptoms related to stress, particularly for those who reach for comfort foods under pressure.

By incorporating flavanol-rich options, people can find a delicious way to bolster their cardiovascular health.

Study Details:

• Title: Cocoa flavanols rescue stress-induced declines in endothelial function after a high-fat meal, but do not affect cerebral oxygenation during stress in young, healthy adults
• Authors: Rosalind Baynham, Jet J. C. S. Veldhuijzen van Zanten, Catarina Rendeiro
• Journal: Food & Function
• Publication Date: 2024
• DOI: 10.1039/D4FO03834G