Folks who stress-eat fatty foods like cookies, chips and ice cream might be able to protect their health with a nice cup of cocoa or green tea, a new study says.

New research has found that a flavanol-rich cocoa drink can protect the body's vasculature against stress even after eating high-fat food.

Cocoa may protect against negative effects of fatty foods when stressed – study - The findings indicate that eating food high in flavanols could be a way to counteract some of the impact of poorer food choices on the body.

A cup of minimally processed cocoa or green tea would have more health benefits for people who would normally reach for a fat-rich treat when stressed, experts claimed.

Rendeiro’s team wanted to see if adding a high-flavanol food to the fatty meal would alleviate the effects of stress. Recent studies found that flavanols can lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes and dementia.

In a previous study, the Birmingham researchers found that high-fat foods can negatively affect the function of blood vessels and oxygen delivery to the brain, while flavanols – found in abundance in cocoa and green tea – can protect this function during periods of everyday stress.

In earlier studies, Birmingham researchers found that high-fat foods can harm blood vessel function and reduce oxygen delivery to the brain. However, flavanols, abundant in cocoa and green tea, appear to protect these functions during stressful periods.

Folks who stress-eat fatty foods like cookies, chips and ice cream might be able to protect their health with a nice cup of cocoa or green tea, a new study says. Drinking cocoa that's high in healthy flavanols along with a fatty meal can counteract some of the impact of fats on the body,

New research has found that a flavanol-rich drink can protect the body against stress - even after eating high-fat dishes. It means that green tea and cocoa can help counteract negative effects of fat