Khaberni - A British study concluded that consuming foods and beverages rich in "flavanols", like tea, cocoa, apples, and berries, helps protect the arteries from health issues that could result from sitting for long hours.
Sitting for extended periods has become a characteristic of modern life, with adults spending an estimated 6 hours a day in a seated position. It's noted that this period of inactivity reduces blood flow and proper arterial function.
Previous studies have proven that just a 1% decrease in arterial function, as measured by the endothelial layer of blood vessels (FMD), increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases by 13%.
As part of the study published in the scientific journal Journal of Physiology, researchers tested the effect of consuming a high-flavanol cocoa drink (695 grams) versus a low-flavanol drink (5.6 grams) on 40 volunteers, among whom twenty were highly fit, before sitting for two consecutive hours.
The same experiment was not conducted on women, given that hormonal changes in a woman's body during the menstrual cycle could affect flavanol function in the body.
The study revealed that the group that consumed the high-flavanol drink did not experience a decline in endothelial measurements in either the hands or feet, unlike the group that consumed the low-flavanol drink, which recorded a decline in endothelial measurements, elevated blood pressure, a decrease in blood flow rate, and a lack of oxygen in leg muscles.
The specialized scientific research website "Scitech Daily" quoted Dr. Sam Lucas, a vascular brain specialist at the University of Birmingham in the UK, saying: "The experiment proved that high fitness levels do not protect against the temporary damages resulting from sitting for long hours if a low-flavanol drink is consumed, whereas consuming drinks rich in flavanols reduces the harms of sitting for long periods whether for those who are highly fit or not."
