High-Flavanol Foods May Protect Heart Health During Prolonged Sitting

New findings from the University of Birmingham reveal that regularly consuming high-flavanol foods, such as cocoa, tea, berries, and apples, may provide protective benefits for heart health during prolonged periods of sitting.

Sedentary behavior has become commonplace, with young adults reportedly spending around six hours a day seated. Previous research indicates that even a minor decline of one percent in vascular function can lead to a thirteen percent increase in the risk of cardiovascular diseases, including heart attacks and strokes.

The study, published in the Journal of Physiology, sought to understand whether dietary choices, specifically flavanol-rich foods, could mitigate the decline in vascular health associated with extended sitting.

Flavanols are polyphenols found in various fruits, nuts, and cocoa beans, and have been linked to cardiovascular benefits, particularly during psychological stress. Dr. Catarina Rendeiro, an Assistant Professor in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Birmingham and the lead author of the study, emphasized the need to address the hidden stress that prolonged sitting places on the body.

Cardiovascular diseases are on the rise, with the British Heart Foundation reporting an 18 percent increase in deaths among working-aged adults in the UK from 2019 to 2023. The study involved forty healthy young men, divided into two groups based on fitness levels, who consumed either a high-flavanol cocoa drink, containing 695 milligrams of total flavanols, or a low-flavanol cocoa drink, with only 5.6 milligrams, before a two-hour sitting session.

Researchers measured various indicators of vascular health, including flow-mediated dilation, arterial shear rate, blood flow, and leg muscle oxygenation before and after sitting. Both fitness groups that consumed the low-flavanol drink exhibited declines in vascular function, while those who consumed the high-flavanol drink maintained their vascular health.

This study represents the first demonstration that flavanols can counteract vascular dysfunction induced by sitting. Dr. Sam Lucas, a Professor of Cerebrovascular, Exercise, and Environmental Physiology at the University of Birmingham, noted that fitness levels do not protect against the temporary vascular impairment caused by prolonged sitting when low-flavanol drinks are consumed.

Importantly, flavanols appear to support vascular health regardless of an individual's fitness level. Alessio Daniele, a PhD student at the University of Birmingham, highlighted the ease of incorporating high-flavanol foods into daily diets, pointing out that cocoa products and various fruits and teas are widely available.

Dr. Rendeiro concluded that consuming high-flavanol foods and drinks during periods of inactivity could significantly reduce the adverse effects on vascular health, emphasizing the importance of integrating these dietary choices with regular activity to enhance long-term health outcomes, regardless of fitness levels.