New research has found that a flavanolrich cocoa drink or green tea can protect the body’s vascular function against stress even after eating high-fat food. The research was published November 18 in the journal ‘Food and Function’.

Vascular function refers to the many ways blood vessels in the body work to supply oxygen and nutrients to organs and tissues, remove waste, and control blood pressure and fluid balance.

The new study from the University of Birmingham found that the compounds found in abundance in cocoa and green tea can protect vascular function during periods of everyday stress.

Dr. Catarina Rendeiro, Assistant Professor in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Birmingham and leading author, said: “We know that when people are stressed, they tend to gravitate towards high-fat foods.

“We have previously shown that fatty food can impair the body’s vascular recovery from stress. “In this study, we wanted to see if adding a highflavanol food to the fatty meal would alleviate the negative impact of stress in the body.”