Good news for hot chocolate fans – new study reveals cocoa can protect you from the effects of fatty foods
A flavanol-rich cocoa drink may help protect the body's vascular system during stressful times, even after consuming high-fat foods, according to new research from the University of Birmingham.
The findings, published in the journal Food & Function, suggest that the combination of flavanols and fatty meals could mitigate some of the negative cardiovascular effects of stress.
Remind me, what are flavanols? Natural compounds found in foods like cocoa, green tea, berries, and nuts.
The research
The research team at the University of Birmingham have previously shown that fatty food can impair the body's vascular recovery from stress.
In this study, they looked at whether adding a high-flavanol food to a fatty meal would alleviate the negative impact of stress in the body.
Dr Catarina Rendeiro, assistant professor in Nutritional Sciences and lead author of the study, explained: ‘We know that when people are stressed, they tend to gravitate towards high-fat foods. In this study, we wanted to see if adding a high-flavanol food to the fatty meal would alleviate the negative impact of stress in the body.’
The method
Participants (a group of young healthy adults) were given a high-fat breakfast — two butter croissants with 10g salted butter, 1.5 slices of cheddar cheese and 250ml whole milk — and either a high-flavanol cocoa drink or a low-flavanol alternative.
They then completed a mental math test designed to induce stress (it increased in speed for eight minutes, alerting them when they got an answer wrong), during which researchers measured cardiovascular and vascular responses.
The two cocoa drinks were prepared by dissolving 12g of cocoa powder into 250ml of whole milk. The low-flavanol powder was an alkalized cocoa powder which was processed to reduce total flavanols to 5.6mg per serving, while the high-flavanol cocoa powder was made from minimally processed, non-alkalized powder, containing 695mg flavanols per serving.
The results
The flavanol-rich cocoa prevented the decline in vascular function: Participants who consumed the high-flavanol cocoa experienced significantly better vascular function.
High-fat stress impact: Those who consumed fatty foods with the low-flavanol drink felt stressed up to 90 minutes after the stressful event was over.
Cerebral oxygenation: Flavanols did not significantly improve brain oxygenation or affect mood during stress.
What does this mean for us?
Dr Catarina Rendeiro, assistant professor in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Birmingham, said that choosing high-flavanol foods or drinks could offer an effective strategy for offsetting the vascular effects of stress: ‘This research shows that drinking or eating a food high in flavanols can be used as a strategy to mitigate some of the impact of poorer food choices on the vascular system. This can help us make more informed decisions about what we eat and drink during stressful periods.’
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 positive. ‘For those who tend to reach for a treat when stressed or depend on convenient food because they work high-pressure jobs or are time-poor, incorporating some of these small changes could make a real difference.’
The bottom line
Small dietary adjustments during periods of high stress can support better cardiovascular health, even when indulging in comfort foods.
If you're looking to boost your flavanol intake, minimally processed cocoa powder is an excellent option to reach for. Other sources include green tea, black tea, berries, and apples.
Guidelines recommend consuming 400–600mg of flavanols daily – which you can meet with two cups of tea or a mix of flavanol-rich fruits and cocoa.
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