• Posted November 18, 2024

Cocoa, Green Tea Might Counter Effects of 'Stress Eating' Fatty Foods

Folks who stress-eat fatty foods like cookies, chips and ice cream might be able to protect their health with a nice cup of cocoa or green tea, a new study says.

Drinking cocoa that’s high in healthy flavanols along with a fatty meal can counteract some of the impact of fats on the body, particularly the blood vessels, researchers found.

“Flavanols are a type of compound that occur in different fruits, vegetables, tea and nuts including berries and unprocessed cocoa,” said lead investigator Rosalind Baynham, a research fellow with the University of Birmingham in the U.K. "Flavanols are known to have health benefits, particularly for regulating blood pressure and protecting cardiovascular health.”

For the study, researchers asked young and healthy adults to eat two butter croissants, a slice and a half of cheddar cheese, and half a pint of whole milk for breakfast. The participants also were randomly assigned to drink cocoa either high or low in flavanols.

The research team then subjected the participants to a stressful math test, and monitored their blood vessel function and heart activity.

“This stress task induced significant increases in heart rate and blood pressure, similar to the stress you may encounter in daily life,” Baynham said in a news releaase.

People who ate fatty foods with a low-flavanol drink had reduced blood vessel function when they were placed under stress, and this reduced function lasted up to 90 minutes after the test.

But the high-flavanol drink prevented a similar decline, researchers said. Blood vessel function was significantly higher in the group that drank flavanol-loaded cocoa compared to the low-flavanol group, at 30 and 90 minutes after the stressful math test.

The new study was published Nov. 18 in the journal Food & Function.

“This research shows that drinking or eating a food high in flavanols can be used as a strategy to mitigate some of the impact of poorer food choices on the vascular system,” said researcher Catarina Rendeiro, an assistant professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Birmingham. “This can help us make more informed decisions about what we eat and drink during stressful periods.”

Researchers recommend that people look for minimally processed cocoa powder, or drink green or black tea.

Guidelines recommend that people consume between 400 and 600 milligrams of flavanols per day, researchers said. This can be achieved by drinking two cups of black or green tea, or by combining berries, apples and high-quality cocoa.

 “Modern life is stressful and the impact of stress on our health and the economy has been well documented, so any changes we can make to protect ourselves from some of the symptoms of stress is positive,” said researcher Jet Veldhuijzen van Zanten, a professor of biological psychology at the University of Birmingham. “For those who tend to reach for a treat when stressed or depend on convenient food because they work high-pressure jobs or are time-poor, incorporating some of these small changes could make a real difference."

More information

The University of California-Davis has more on flavanols.

SOURCE: University of Birmingham, news release, Nov. 18, 2024