Cocoa Intake May Be Protective to the Heart During Stress

(Newswire.net — October 25, 2022) Orlando, FL — Chronic stress has long been detrimental to various aspects of health, and this is why researchers are increasingly studying its impacts. Some researchers have found that some food and beverages could produce heart health protection.

The UK research team from the University of Birmingham carried out and published in Nutrients.  

The investigators looked into the effects of cocoa flavanols on stress-induced alterations in vascular function.

They have found that increased intake of flavanols could offer protection to people from mental stress-induced cardiovascular events like thrombosis, stroke, and heart disease. It is worth noting that flavanols are a group of molecules occurring naturally in fruit and vegetables.

Blood vessels were found to function better during mental stress when the subjects were fed with a cocoa drink than when consuming a non-flavanol-enriched drink. It is worth noting that cocoa has high levels of flavanols.

“We found that drinking flavanol-rich cocoa can be an effective dietary strategy to reduce temporary impairments in endothelial function following mental stress and also improve blood flow during stressful episodes,” said lead author, Dr. Catarina Rendeiro.

Rendeiro is of the University of Birmingham’s School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, explains:

“Flavanols are extremely common in a wide range of fruit and vegetables. By utilizing the known cardiovascular benefits of these compounds during periods of acute vascular vulnerability (such as stress) we can offer improved guidance to people about how to make the most of their dietary choices during stressful periods.”

This randomized study was particularly carried out by postgraduate student Rosalind Baynham. It involved a group of healthy men who consumed a high-flavanol cocoa beverage 90 minutes before completing an eight-minute mental stress task.

Cocoa intake is just one of the remedies being widely studied by researchers. Some studies even suggest certain nutrients like B vitamins have stress-busting and cardiovascular health benefits.

B vitamins like Vitamin B12, Folic Acid, Niacin, Riboflavin, Choline, Pantothenic acid, Biotin,  Thiamin, and vitamin B6 have been linked with a myriad of health benefits. This is why today, experts strongly stress the relevance of taking some measures to ensure adequate levels of these nutrients inside the body.

Extra-strength supplements like Divine Bounty B Vitamin Complex are widely used by health-conscious consumers. This formula could help eliminate the risk of symptoms and certain health issues linked with inadequate levels of B vitamins.

All Vegetarian and odorless capsules contained in every bottle of Divine Bounty B Vitamin Complex are made in an FDA-inspected facility in the U.S (https://amazon.com/dp/B07414752B).