Good Lifestyle

And if someone told you that drinkingHot chocolate could protect your heart, especially during stressful moments?

New search Published in the newspaperNutrients By a team of experts from the University of Birmingham reveals that the increased consumption of flavanoles (naturally found in cocoa, as well as in many fruits and vegetables)Can prevent people from undergoing cardiovascular events by Axus mental. This includes heart disease, cerebrovascular accident and thrombosis.

In the study, the researchers found that the blood vessels could work better for moments of mental stress when people sipped on a cocoa drink rich in flavanols. Cocoa seems to have a positive effect on the thin cell membrane called endothelium that border the heart and blood vessels.

When endothelium is at optimum performance, it can help reduce the risk of peripheral vascular disease, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, renal failure, tumor growth, thrombosis and even diseases. Serious viral infectious (such as Covid-19). (In touch:15 underestimated weight loss tips that actually work)

However, mental stress can also have a negative effect on the quality of our blood vessels.

"We found that cocoa consumption rich in Flavanol drinking can constitute an effective food strategy to reduce temporary deficiencies in endothelial function after mental stress and improve blood circulation during stressful episodes", author of the study Main, Dr. Cataarna Rendreiro, MSC, PhD, said.in a report.

"Flavanols are extremely common in a wide range of fruits and vegetables. Using the known cardiovascular benefits of these compounds during periods of acute vulnerability (such as stress),We can offer improved advice to people on how to make the most of their food choices during stressful periods. "

In the study, a group of healthy men has been charged with drinking a high flavanole cocoa drink 90 minutes before finishing a task of eight-minute mental stress. The researchers measured their blood flow from the forearm and their cardiovascular activity at rest and during stress. Then they evaluated how the blood vessels of the participants operated up to 90 minutes after suffering the stressful task.

They found thatThe function of blood vessel was less altered in those who drank cocoa beverageAnd the flavanoles even seemed to help improve the blood flow of the participants. Seeing that simple episodes of stress can increase the risk of cardiovascular events, the more you can protect your blood vessels through a diet, better this level of stress can be a little more difficult.

"Our conclusions are important for the daily regime, since the daily dosage administered could be obtained by consuming a variety of foods rich in flavanols, especially apples, black grapes, blackberries, cherries, raspberries, pears, pulses, green tea and unprocessed cocoa, "says Dr. Rendiro.

"This has important implications for measures to protect the blood vessels of these people who are more vulnerable to the effects of mental stress".

For more, be sure to check the32 foods that extinguish the stress hormone that makes you magnify.