Prolonged sitting, typical of office work and a sedentary lifestyle, puts a serious strain on the cardiovascular system. It impairs blood vessel function, contributes to increased blood pressure, and can have a cumulative negative effect. A new study published in Verywell Health has shown that certain foods can partially offset the damage caused by prolonged sitting.
These are flavanols, antioxidant compounds found in cocoa, tea, berries, apples, and certain vegetables. The study involved 40 healthy young men. Before a two-hour sitting period, some of the participants drank a cocoa drink high in flavanols. The results showed that this group had significantly smaller changes in blood pressure than those who did not drink the drink.
Researchers note that other foods high in flavanols may have a similar effect, including unsweetened cocoa, green and black tea, spinach, kale, dark berries, plums and nuts. Jeanette Andrade, a dietitian and associate professor at the University of Florida, notes that fruits and vegetables with rich colors, such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and dark leafy greens, are the ones that contain the most of these compounds.
The cocoa drink in the study contained about 695 mg of flavanols — slightly more than the recommended 400–600 mg per day from food sources. For comparison, a cup of tea contains 120–320 mg of flavanols, and a serving of blackberries contains about 65 mg. Participants drank the cocoa just before sitting down, which may have provided the maximum effect.
Senior author of the work, Associate Professor Catarina Rendeiro from the University of Birmingham, explains that flavanols reach their peak in the blood approximately two hours after consumption. It is during this period that they most actively affect blood vessels, improving their function. At the same time, different foods have different absorption times: flavanols from blueberries enter the blood faster, and from citrus fruits - more slowly.
Experts emphasize that even given the benefits of flavanols, the main recommendation for reducing the harm of sitting remains regular breaks and movement. Standing, short walks or warming up have a much more powerful effect on improving blood circulation. Foods rich in flavanols can be a useful addition when long office work is unavoidable.
