You might question the alleged connection between sitting and drinking coffee. But the scientists who say they’ve discovered it are certain they’re right. And what a revelation for desk workers who ‘survive’ on coffee!
It all has to do with flavanols – the almost magical compounds found in coffee and cocoa that fight inflammation.
What ARE flavanols?
Flavanols are naturally occurring polyphenols found in coffee, tea, cocoa beans, various fruits, and nuts. They have previously been linked to cardiovascular benefits, including support for the vascular system during psychological stress.
They act by helping your arteries open and flowing, even under stress.
What they did
According to an abstract of the study, by researchers at the University of Birmingham, (UK): “The team examined the effects of these compounds during a two-hour sitting period. Forty healthy young men took part. Twenty had higher fitness levels and twenty had lower fitness levels.
“Each participant consumed either a high-flavanol cocoa drink (695 mg of total flavanols per bever-age) or a low-flavanol cocoa drink (5.6 mg of total flavanols per beverage) before beginning the sitting session.”
The team measured several indicators of vascular health before and after the sitting period.
What they found
“Both the higher- and lower- fitness groups who consumed the low-flavanol drink experienced in-creases in diastolic blood pressure, reductions in shear rate and blood flow, and lower leg muscle oxygenation.”
Those results indicate that simply being more physically fit does not protect against the vascular effects of prolonged sitting.
“In contrast, participants in both fitness groups who consumed the high-flavanol cocoa did not show declines in indicators of vascular health in either the arm or leg arteries.”
The takeaway
“Given how common sedentary lifestyles have become and the increased risk this can have to vascular health, using flavanol-rich food and drink, especially in combination with breaking up periods of inactivity by going for a short walk or standing up, could be a good way to enhance long-term health, no matter the individual’s fitness level,” study team member Dr. Catarina Rendeiro suggested.
My take
Previous studies showed that, “even a small 1 percent drop in vascular function, measured through brachial Flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), corresponds to a 13 percent rise in the risk of cardiovas-cular conditions such as heart disease, strokes, and heart attacks.”
This is the first study to demonstrate that flavanols can prevent sitting-induced vascular dysfunction in healthy young men. I’d like to know how it effects older men – and women. Though the researchers included only men in their study because, ‘fluctuations in estrogen during the menstrual cycle may influence how flavanols affect vascular function’. The team recommends that this phenomenon be explored in future studies.
In the UK, where the study took place, the British Heart Foundation reported deaths among working-aged adults there increased by 18 percent to 21,975 in 2023 compared to 2019. Recent analyses also estimate that cardiovascular diseases cost the UK approximately £29 billion, or (US)$38 billion. I suspect a similar increase has taken place in most Western countries – whee the same lifestyles prevail…
So, if we can do something as simple a consuming more flavanol-rich foods, we should all be doing it. For ourselves and our society…
~ Maggie J.