Discover more unexpected good news for tea lovers

And new research just published in the academic journal Food and Function , has discovered another unexpected benefit of your morning cup of tea, according to the science site Scitech Daily .

Lead author Dr Catarina Rendeiro, Associate Professor of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Birmingham, said: “When stressed, people tend to snack on fatty foods. Our previous research has shown that high-fat foods can impair blood vessel function and reduce oxygen supply to the brain. So we wanted to see if adding foods high in flavanols, such as green tea, to a high-fat meal could reduce the effects of stress.

Flavanol-rich green tea and cocoa may protect the cardiovascular system from stress even after a high-fat diet

The researchers gave a group of young, healthy adults a breakfast of two croissants with butter, 1.5 slices of cheese, and a drink with either a high-flavanol or a low-flavanol content.

After eating, participants rested before taking a stressful math test, which was designed to increase heart rate and blood pressure, similar to stress in everyday life, explains Rendeiro.

Participants were asked to answer as many questions as possible in eight minutes. At the same time, the authors measured blood flow, brain oxygen levels, and assessed their risk of heart disease.

Results found that consuming a high-fat food combined with a low-flavanol beverage during stress reduced vascular function, and this persisted for up to 90 minutes after the stress was over.

Conversely, beverages high in flavanols were effective in preventing deterioration of blood vessel function after stress.

High-fat foods can impair blood vessel function and reduce oxygen supply to the brain.

Specifically, when tested at 30 and 90 minutes after the stress period, results showed that the high-flavanol beverage significantly increased blood flow-induced vasodilation, compared with the low-flavanol beverage.

Researchers have concluded that flavanol-rich green tea can protect the cardiovascular system from stress even after eating fat.

About flavanols

Flavanols are most abundant in tea, raw cocoa and berries, and are also found in many fruits, vegetables and nuts, explains study co-author Rosalind Baynham.

Flavanols are very beneficial for health, especially in regulating blood pressure and protecting cardiovascular health, says expert Rosalind Baynham.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends that adults consume 400 - 600 mg of flavanols per day, according to Scitech Daily.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/phat-hien-them-tin-vui-bat-ngo-cho-nguoi-thich-uong-tra-185241118233142672.htm