You might (not) want to sit down for this! Did you know that prolonged sitting has been associated with health dangers comparable to those of obesity and smoking? Most notably an increased risk of premature death? Rest assured — ha! — there’s exciting new research out of the University of Birmingham in England: Consuming high-flavanol cocoa fully protected blood vessel function from the negative effects of sitting for two hours— versus a 10% decline in the placebo group!
Dr Catarina Rendeiro, Assistant Professor in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Birmingham, and leading author, said: “Whether we are sitting at desks, behind the wheel of a car, on a train, or on the sofa, we all spend a lot of time seated. Our research shows that consuming high-flavanol foods and drinks during periods spent sitting down is a good way to reduce some of the impact of inactivity on the vascular system.”
The Study in a Nutshell
- Researchers from the University of Birmingham recruited 40 healthy young men, half of whom were very fit and half less so.
- Each participant completed two separate sitting sessions, each lasting two hours —a typical afternoon at your desk.
- Before one session, they drank a high-flavanol cocoa beverage containing 695mg of cocoa flavanols. Before the other, they drank a low-flavanol, placebo version of the same beverage.
- Researchers measured flow-mediated dilation (FMD)—a marker of how well blood vessels can widen and maintain healthy blood flow—before and after each sitting session.
What Researchers Found
The results, published in the Journal of Physiology were striking:
- Sitting for two hours reduced blood vessel function by over 10% after consuming the placebo beverage, even in fit participants
- However, participants consuming the high-flavanol cocoa, experienced no decline in vascular function (FMD) after sitting
- Physical fitness alone didn’t prevent the decline in blood vessel health caused by sitting. In other words, even if you work out regularly, long sitting periods can still take a toll.
The Bottom Line
While you shouldn’t trade your daily exercise for a cup of cocoa, adding flavanol-rich foods to your routine could help your blood vessels stay healthy—even during long days at the desk. Your arteries just might thank you.