- If you eat fatty comfort foods during stressful times, drinking cocoa may help you recover from the effects of stress faster, new research suggests.
- Stress negatively affects your body, at least temporarily, and eating fatty foods before or during stress can make it take longer for your body to recover.
- Cocoa contains flavonoids, which are thought to protect blood vessel function from temporary impairments caused by stress, which can lead to high blood pressure and other problems.
While you may turn to high-fat comfort foods in times like these, drinking cocoa may help you recover faster from the physiological effects of stress. This is according to new research from the University of Birmingham in the UK.
The authors of this study Food & Function — We have previously shown that eating fatty foods can have negative effects. vascular function and reduce cortical oxygenation Stressful situations inhibit the body’s ability to recover afterward.
Cocoa contains epicatechin, a flavanol that relaxes the endothelial cell layer of blood vessels, improving their function and combating increased blood pressure, a common response to stress.
For the study, researchers recruited 23 young, healthy men and women. Each subject consumed a high-fat meal and a cocoa drink high in epicatechin or low in epicatechin 1.5 hours before undergoing an 8-minute mental stress task.
Patients’ vascular function was assessed by measuring brachial blood flow-mediated dilation, referring to how much the artery widens when blood flow is increased. This was done at the beginning of the trial and 30 and 90 minutes after the stress task.
In the epicatechin high concentration group, 30-minute blood flow-mediated dilation measurements were lower and already significantly improved by 90 minutes, indicating faster recovery from the effects of stress.
Other effects of stress were also measured, including prefrontal cortex oxygenation, forearm blood flow, blood pressure, cardiovascular activity, common carotid artery diameter and blood flow, and mood. No differences were found between the high and low epicatechin groups on these measurements.
High-fat foods may be tasty and comforting, but researchers’ previous studies have shown that it’s actually best to avoid such foods if people want to recover from the negative effects of stress. strongly suggests.
This is especially true for people who have stressful jobs or who experience stress on a regular basis.
Corresponding author of this study, Dr. Catalina LendeiroA lecturer in nutritional sciences at the University of Birmingham, UK, said: Today’s medical news that:
“Stressful work may increase risk of cardiovascular disease” up to 40% compared to individuals freed from those stressors. This is probably due, at least in part, to continued impairment of vascular function due to stress, which is likely to result in more permanent impairment. ”
Dr. Chen Han ChenLong-term stress in asymptomatic people, medical director of the Structural Heart Program and a board-certified interventional cardiologist at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, California, who was not involved in this study He cited the possibility of an impact. Time to recover between events.
“Elevated stress levels over long periods of time lead to chronic increases in stress hormones, inflammation and blood pressure, which can lead to cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes,” he said.
Mr. Rendeiro said: Expansion through flow This may correspond to a significant increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease in humans.
Rendeiro said it’s not entirely clear why fat intake slows the recovery of blood flow-mediated dilatation after mental stress, but blood triglycerides and C reactions increase several hours after consuming fatty foods. There is evidence that levels of sex proteins increase.
Elevated levels of these reduce endothelial-derived nitric oxide and impair endothelial function. This may be why cocoa is helpful.
Michelle Ruthenstein, MS, RD, CDCES, CDNThe researcher, a preventive cardiology nutritionist and heart health expert at EntirelyNourished, who was also not involved in the study, said that cocoa flavanols “have the potential to increase nitric oxide levels. “Whether or not you’re eating fatty foods, it may help speed up your recovery time from stress.”
Rendeiro similarly pointed out that epicatechin, found in cocoa, “increases the availability of vasodilators.” […] Nitric oxide is known to improve blood vessel function. ”
“Flavanols are a type of flavonoid, a group of plant compounds known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Other sources of flavanols include green tea, apples, berries, and grape skins.”
Rendeiro said there are also indications that “triglyceride-rich lipoprotein particles can cause direct damage to blood vessel walls.” Alternatively, fat intake may induce endothelial dysfunction indirectly by increasing oxidative stress. ”
However, the researchers found that cocoa appeared to have no beneficial effect on stress-induced limitations in the brain’s oxygen supply.
“Stress-induced changes in cerebral blood flow can lead to cognitive changes such as decreased concentration, decreased memory, poor decision-making, and even changes in mood,” Chen explained.
Still, the findings regarding cocoa are welcome.
“Good news,” Rendeiro concluded. “If you find yourself reaching for fatty foods when you’re feeling stressed, adding healthy flavanol-rich foods to your diet can help minimize the effects of stress.” Blood vessel function is combined with fat. ”
The study states that you can consume 5.5 tablespoons of raw cocoa, 2 cups of green tea, or 300 grams of berries to get the same amount of beneficial flavanols used in the study.
“Although it is not recommended to eat fatty foods in the context of stress in the first place, in situations of stress, there are additional dietary strategies that can be used to reduce its effects,” advised the corresponding author.
