Stress and fatty food: How can you combat their effect with a simple drink?

If you consume fatty foods during stressful periods, drinking cocoa can help you recover more quickly from the effects of stress, suggests a new study.

Researchers from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom found that while people often choose fatty foods during stress, drinking a cacao drink can improve their recovery from the physical effects of stress.

The study, published in Food & Funcition magazine, shows that consumption of fatty foods harms vascular function and reduces cortic oxygen during stress, further preventing recovery. The epicatehin flag in cocoa relaxes endothelial blood vessels cells, improves their function and lowers high blood pressure, a common response to stress, writes Medical News Today.

Chaca consumption relates to a better response to stress

23 young and healthy adults participated in the study. Each consumed a rich fat meal and then a high - or low - content cacao epikathhini, an hour and a half before a stress test that lasted eight minutes. Their vascular function was measured by analyzing the expansion of the arm arteries in response to the increased circulation of blood at the beginning of the study, then in 30 and 90 minutes of stress testing.

In the group that received much epicatehin, the ability of vessels to expand was lower in 30 minutes but improved significantly in 90 minutes, showing faster recovery from the effects of stress. Other factors, such as Cortical oxygenation, presupposing blood, blood pressure, cardiovascular activity, and emotional condition, were measured but no changes were found between the two groups.

Why does fatty food make stress worse?

Although fatty foods may seem comforting, studies show that they slow down stress recovery, especially in those with very stressful jobs. “Very stressful work increases the risk of cardiovascular disease to 40% compared to those who do not have these stresses”, explains study author Dr. Katharina Rendeiro. The main reason relates to continued damage to vascular function.

Dr. Cheng-Han Chen, an intruder in California, points out that chronic stress causes constant growth of stress hormones, inflammation and blood pressure, increasing the risk of hypertension, heart attack, or stroke. Supporters of the study note that even a small decrease in vascular function can significantly increase the risk of heart disease.

How does the cocoa neutralize the effect of fatty food?

Dr. Redeiro explains that it is not yet known exactly why the fat delays the vascular recovery after stress, but it is known that the rise of triglycerides and C-reactive protein reduces the production of nitric oxid, an essential molecule for the expansion of blood vessels. The epicatehini in cacao increases just this molecule, improving vascular function.

Chaco flags are antioxidants and powerful anti-flammators. Green tea, apple crust, berries, and grapes have the same effect. These foods help to increase nitrous oxid and reduce toxic stress.

Kakao, green tea and forest fruit allies against stress

Although cocoa did not improve cerebral oxygen during stress, it remains useful for vascular recovery. Dr. Chen notes that changes in cerebral circulation during stress can affect concentration, memory, and mood.

Scholar's Counsel: If you cannot escape fatty foods during stress, add a rich source of flamevanols to minimize damage.

Study recommendations:

5 tablespoons of raw cocoa

Or two cups of green tea

or 300 g.g. berries

...to achieve the amount of flavanole that brought positive effects.