Cocoa Flavanols Improve Vascular Responses to Acute Mental Stress in Young Healthy Adults

摘要: Mental stress has been shown to induce cardiovascular events, likely due its negative impact on vascular function. Flavanols, plant-derived polyphenolic compounds, improve endothelial function and blood pressure (BP) in humans, however their effects during are not known. This study examined the of acute intake cocoa flavanols stress-induced changes In a randomised, controlled, double-blind, cross-over intervention study, 30 healthy men ingested flavanol beverage (high-flavanol: 150 mg vs. low-flavanol < 4 (-)-epicatechin) 1.5 h before an 8-min mental task). Forearm flow (FBF), BP, activity were assessed pre- post-intervention, both at rest stress. Endothelial (brachial flow-mediated dilatation, FMD) brachial BP measured 90 min post-stress. FMD was impaired post-stress, yet high-flavanol attenuated this decline remained significantly higher compared High-flavanol increased FBF Stress-induced responses similar conditions. Flavanols effective counteracting dysfunction improving peripheral These findings suggest use flavanol-rich dietary strategies protect health