Study: Flavonoid -like dark chocolate has a positive effect on the stress response
Study: Flavonoid -like dark chocolate has a positive effect on the stress response
Reference
Wirtz PH, by Känel R, Meister Re, et al. The consumption of dark chocolate buffers human stress reactivity. j am Coll Cardiol. 2014; 63 (21): 2297-2299.
Design
This was a placebo -controlled, simply blinded study with healthy, non -smoking men between the ages of 20 and 50 (average ± standard deviation: 35.7 ± 8.8) that do not take any medication. The participants were assigned to either get dark chocolate (n = 31) or placebo (n = 34). The dark chocolate used consisted of 72 % of cocoa and contained 281 calories and 125 mg Flavanol Epicatechin Pro 50 G portion. The placebo looked the same and tasted the same way, but it was actually a flavanol -free white chocolate that was colored and flavored to correspond to the color, the appearance and smell of the dark chocolate. 48 hours before eating the chocolate, the participants did not exert an exhausting physical activity and also consumed any substances that contained dark polyphenols, milk, milk -containing products, coffee or alcohol. They only drank water two hours before the experiment.
target parameter
Two hours after the chocolate consumption, both groups experienced an acute stressful situation, which included a standardized psychosocial stress task that combined public speeches and mental arithmetic. Measurements of the stress hormones were carried out before taking it and several times after the stress task. These hormones included the adrenocorticotocotrope hormone in plasma, adrenaline, noradrenaline and epicatechine as well as the cortisol level in saliva.
most important knowledge
The group with dark chocolate had a clearly reduced cortisol level ( p <0.001) and adrenaline ( p = 0.021) Reactivity to psychosocial stress compared to placebo. The results were not significantly influenced when age, body mass index and medium arterial blood pressure were checked. The epicatechin plasmaspiegel were increased in the intervention group.
effects on practice
The cardiovascular advantages of dark chocolate were confirmed. As can be seen from a literature overview from 2009, cocoaopolyphenols improve the endothelial function, reduce the plates of the blood, compensate for blood sugar, improve insulin sensitivity and help control blood lipid. 1 This is the first study that shows effectiveness in connection with the stress reaction in humans.
While in this study only the epicateching content in plasma was measured, it is likely that the other flavanols in cocoa will also contribute to the stress -protecting effects. 3 From a clinical point of view, the consumption of chocolate flavanol is an attractive recommendation for patients, especially for patients with a high risk Cardiovascular diseases. 4 Patients suffering from acute stress episodes who may make up a large part of most cases in clinical practice will probably draw additional benefits from the daily consumption of about 2 out of dark chocolate.
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- BUITRAGO-Lopez A, Sanderson J, Johnson L, et al. Chocolate consumption and cardiometabolic disorders: systemic review and meta -analysis. bmj. 26. August 2011; 343: D4488.
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