Drinking Cocoa May Protect Your Heart from Stress-Induced Ca

Drinking Cocoa May Protect Your Heart from Stress-Induced Cardiovascular Disease
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Drinking cocoa is a great way to warm up after a day spent playing in the snow or to satisfy a craving for something sweet. However, it also has some pretty impressive health benefits, scientists now say. A new study from the University of Birmingham discovered that blood vessels functioned better during times of intense mental stress when people were given a cocoa drink containing high levels of flavanols than when drinking a non-flavanol enriched drink, according to
"Flavanols are extremely common in a wide range of fruit and vegetables. By utilizing the known cardiovascular benefits of these compounds during periods of acute vascular vulnerability (such as stress) we can offer improved guidance to people about how to make the most of their dietary choices during stressful periods," said lead author Dr. Catarina Rendeiro, of the University of Birmingham's School of Sport, Exercise, and Rehabilitation Sciences.

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