She is greedy…
Stress occurs during a situation considered by the brain to be stressful. In the long term, this psychological mechanism can cause psychological and physical fatigue, which can lead to cardiovascular diseases, eczema or even burn-out. “We know that when people are stressed, they tend to turn to foods high in fat. Fatty foods can impair the body's vascular recovery after stress“ explains Dr Catarine Renderio, lead author of a new study on the subject. His team of researchers wanted to test whether adding a specific food to a fatty meal could alleviate the negative impact of stress on the body.
These scientists from the University of Birmingham carried out their research on a group of 23 adults aged 18 to 45, including 11 men and 12 women. Each participant had to eat a high-fat breakfast consisting of 2 butter croissants, a slice of cheddar and 250ml of whole milk. This breakfast was accompanied by a drink, either rich in flavonoids or, on the contrary, low in flavonoids. These natural molecules and antioxidants are known to regulate blood pressure and protect vascular health.
The participants were then subjected to a stress test. “We asked them to complete a mental arithmetic test which increased in speed for 8 minutes, alerting them when they gave a wrong answer” details Rosalind Bayham, one of the authors. During this time, their blood flow, cardiovascular activity and tissue oxygenation of the prefrontal cortex (an area of the brain that assimilates sensory and emotional information) were measured.
According to the results published in the journal “Food & Function”, blood circulation was better in the subjects who consumed the famous drink rich in flavonoids, proof that they resisted stress better. This beverage capable of reducing the negative effects of fats and protecting the vascular system from the harmful effects of stress had cocoa as its main ingredient (12 g of cocoa powder in 250 ml of whole milk). Cocoa is renowned for its richness in flavonoids.
“This research shows that drinking or eating a flavonoid-rich food can be used as a strategy to mitigate some of the impact of less wise food choices on the vascular system. This may help us make more informed decisions about what we let's eat or drink during times of stress” commented Dr. Rendeiro. For those who don't like cocoa too much, flavonoids are also very present in green tea. Two cups are enough.
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