03/12/2026
Flavanols & Heart Health
Prolonged sitting can temporarily impair the flexibility of blood vessels, increasing blood pressure. A new study suggests that consuming foods rich in flavanols may prevent blood vessel problems associated with too much sitting. Researchers recruited 40 healthy young men, 20 very fit and 20 who were less fit. They gave all the men either a flavanol-rich cup of cocoa or a low-flavanol cup of cocoa and then had them sit still for 2 hours. All those who drank low-flavanol cocoa had a drop in the flexibility of their leg and arm arteries, whether they were fit or not. All those who drank the high-flavanol cocoa did NOT have a drop in their vessel flexibility, regardless of how fit they were.
