Scientists talk about the unusual benefits of cocoa

 We don’t really like this drink, but in vain!

Cocoa is rich in flavanols - special mmolecules that help prevent stress-induced cardiovascular disease. Including stroke, heart attack and thrombosis.

Scientists from the University of Birmingham conducted an experiment: one group of healthy men were offered to drink a cup of cocoa rich in flavanols, and the other - a drink without these compounds. After 90 minutes, all study participants were asked to complete a mental stress task.

The researchers then measured the volunteers' forearm blood flow and cardiovascular activity at rest and during stress, and assessed how well blood vessels worked for 1.5 hours after performing a stressful task. It turned out that in those who drank cocoa before a stressful task, the blood vessels functioned better. 

It has been proven that mental stress increases heart rate and blood pressure , and also has a negative effect on the endothelium (cell membrane) that lines the heart and blood vessels. Moreover, this state lasts for some time after an unpleasant event. If stressful episodes occur frequently, this affects the condition of the blood vessels and contributes to the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases.

"Our results indicate that consumption of flavanol-rich cocoa can effectively reduce transient endothelial dysfunction and improve blood flow during times of stress," the authors say.

By the way, Flavonols are also found in green tea, apples, raspberries, cherries, blackberries, red grapes, lentils, and beans.