Cocoa And Tea Can Help Prevent Heart Damage Caused By Prolonged Sitting: New Study

Prolonged sitting is known to damage your health in more ways than one. It increases your risk of several diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease, among others. It can also lead to back pain, weak muscles, and poor posture. However, a majority of people have work set-ups which require them to sit for such prolonged periods. Hence, it is important that you take necessary steps that help to prevent such health issues.

A recent study from the University of Birmingham found that eating foods that are rich in flavanols may help protect men's blood vessels from the negative effects of prolonged sitting. These foods include tea, cocoa, berries, apples and more.

The Hidden Health Risks Of Prolonged Sitting

When you sit for long hours, it reduces your blood vessel's ability to function properly. Previous studies have shown that even a small 1% drop in vascular function, measured through flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), can increase the risk of cardiovascular conditions such as heart disease, strokes, and heart attacks by 13%.

For the new study, researchers tried to understand whether certain foods, especially foods high in flavanols, could help counterbalance the decline of heart health, which occurs due to uninterrupted sitting. The study was published in the Journal of Physiology.

Dr. Catarina Rendeiro, Assistant Professor in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Birmingham and lead author, said, "Whether we are sitting at desks, behind the wheel of a car, on a train, or on the sofa reading a book or watching TV, we all spend a lot of time seated. Even though we are not moving our bodies, we are still putting them under stress. Finding ways to mitigate the impact that sitting for uninterrupted periods has on our vascular system could help us cut the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases."

What The New Study Reveals

For the study, the researchers analysed the effects of flavanols during a two-hour sitting period. Forty healthy young men took part in the study. Among them, twenty had higher fitness levels and twenty had lower fitness levels. Each of these participants then consumed either a high-flavanol cocoa drink (695 mg of total flavanols per beverage) or a low-flavanol cocoa drink (5.6 mg of total flavanols per beverage) before beginning the sitting session. Women were not a part of the study due to the fluctuations in their oestrogen levels, which can influence how flavanols affect vascular function. However, researchers noted that this aspect should be explored in future studies.

The researchers found that both higher and lower fitness groups who consumed the low-flavanol drink had decline in FMD in the arteries. They also experienced an increase in diastolic blood pressure, reduction in shear rate and blood flow, and lower leg muscle oxygenation.

On the other hand, participants in both fitness groups who consumed the high-flavanol cocoa did not show decline in FMD in either the arm or leg arteries. This is the first study to show that flavanols can prevent sitting-induced vascular dysfunction in healthy young men.

Dr. Sam Lucas, Professor of Cerebrovascular, Exercise & Environmental Physiology at the University of Birmingham and co-author, said, "Our experiment indicates that higher fitness levels do not prevent the temporary impairment of vascular function induced by sitting when only drinking low-flavanol cocoa. Importantly, after the high-flavanol drink, both fitter and less-fit participants kept their FMD the same as it was before sitting for two hours."

The results of the study show that flavanols can help to improve vascular health, regardless of their fitness level.

Easy Ways to Add Flavanols to Your Daily Diet

Speaking on adding flavanol-rich foods to your diet, Alessio Daniele, PhD student at the University of Birmingham, said, "It is actually quite easy to add high flavanol foods to your diet. There are cocoa products available in supermarkets and health stores which are processed through methods that preserve flavanol levels. If cocoa isn't your thing, fruits like apples, plums and berries, nuts, and black and green tea are all common kitchen staples and are readily available."

Also, Dr. Catarina Rendeiro said, "Our research shows that consuming high-flavanol foods and drinks during periods spent sitting down is a good way to reduce some of the impact of inactivity on the vascular system.

"Given how common sedentary lifestyles have become and the increased risk this can have to vascular health, using flavanol-rich food and drink, especially in combination with breaking up periods of inactivity by going for a short walk or standing up, could be a good way to enhance long-term health, no matter the individual's fitness level."

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.