Cheap drink protects against dangers of sitting all day better than exercise

Scientists have determined that a favorite beverage in cold weather is an important tool for reversing the harmful effects of prolonged sitting.

Young adults spend an average of six hours of their day sitting. This sedentary behavior is linked to increased risks of obesity, heart disease and depression, even if people are physically active at other times.

Sitting at a desk for long periods of time, often at work, can gradually impair blood vessel function through stress and decreased blood flow, which reduces the availability of an important protective molecule called nitric oxide that controls how blood vessels dilate.

In a new study involving 40 young men of varying fitness levels, scientists in the United Kingdom found that a cup of hot cocoa could counteract these effects.

The secret was the high amount of flavanols in natural cocoa, compounds that lower blood pressure and strengthen heart health. One group drank cocoa high in flavanols, while the other drank the same beverage with low levels of flavanols.

The cocoa drink prevented the decline in blood vessel function in both arm and leg arteries by maintaining baseline levels throughout the sitting period.

Nutritionist at the University of Birmingham and lead author of the study, Dr. Catarina Rendeiro said in her statement: ‘Whether we are sitting at a desk, behind the wheel of a car, on the train, or on the couch reading a book or watching television, we all spend most of our time sitting.

‘Even if we don’t move our bodies, we still put them under stress. ‘Finding ways to reduce the impact of uninterrupted periods of sitting on our vascular system could help us reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.’

Sedentary behavior is a leading health risk with strong ties to an increased likelihood of heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure and more.

Previous research has shown that sitting at a desk for long hours increases the risk of dying from any cause by 16 percent and the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by 34 percent.

Sitting for just a few hours without getting up also harms the health of a person’s blood vessels, even if he or she is young and healthy.

Scientists measure this using ultrasound to see how well the artery expands when blood flow increases, a sign of a healthy, flexible blood vessel.

Just one to six hours of continuous sitting can significantly reduce this ability, especially in the leg arteries.

The UK study tested whether drinking flavanol-rich cocoa before sitting for two hours could protect blood vessel health in the legs and arms of young, healthy men.

The researchers also checked whether cocoa helped maintain circulation in the smallest blood vessels and keep blood pressure stable.

The researchers recruited 40 young, healthy men ages 18 to 34; half of them were very fit and the other half were less fit.

Each participant received two laboratory visits; During this visit, they drank either a high-flavanol cocoa drink or a placebo cocoa drink from which most flavanols had been removed.

After 30 to 60 minutes, they sat completely still for two hours, and scientists used advanced ultrasound to measure how well the arteries in their arms and legs were working before and after this period of inactivity.

A person’s baseline fitness level provided no protection against the harmful vascular effects of prolonged sitting. Both the high-adherence and low-adherence groups experienced the exact same negative consequences after two uninterrupted hours.

But the flavanol-rich drink made a significant difference in both healthy and unhealthy participants.

When participants drank a low-flavanol placebo cocoa and sat for two hours, blood vessel function in both the brachial artery in their arm and the femoral artery in their leg decreased significantly. This was the expected detrimental effect of sitting.

When the participants drank the high-flavanol cocoa and sat for the same two hours, the function of their blood vessels did not decrease at all. The fall was completely prevented.

A person’s fitness level did not increase the benefits of flavanols; both groups received the same level of protection from the cocoa intervention.

Dr Rendeiro said: ‘Given how common sedentary lifestyles have become and the increased risk this can have on vascular health, the use of flavanol-rich foods and drinks, particularly by eliminating periods of inactivity such as going for a short walk or standing up, may be a good way to improve long-term health regardless of an individual’s fitness level.’

Researchers at Duke University report that a decade of progress in reducing deaths from heart failure has been reversed. The death rate has risen from about 82 to 106 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021, after falling through 2012.

The benefits of flavanols are easily accessible. Dark chocolate and berries are rich in heart-healthy compounds.

To reap the benefits, look for dark chocolate with a cocoa content of 70 percent and above. A small square of about 10 grams can provide a significant dose of flavanols.

People can also benefit from one or two cups of green or black tea, apples, grapes and nuts.

The research was published in the journal Journal of Physiology.

The blood vessel deterioration that researchers see in long-term sitters is a known cause of cardiovascular disease, and it may explain the troubling shift that is causing young people to die from heart failure at increasing rates.

Researchers at Duke University reported last year that deaths from heart failure decreased from 1999 to 2012. a sharp reversal since then, it has increased from about 82 deaths per 100,000 people in 2012 to about 106 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021.