From Fox News: Sitting for long stretches could be hurting your heart — but researchers say a simple diet tweak, like adding cocoa, berries or apples, may help reduce the damage.
A new study from the University of Birmingham found that eating foods rich in flavanols — natural compounds found in cocoa, berries, apples, tea and nuts — can help protect blood vessels from the harmful effects of prolonged sitting, which can induce declines in vascular function and is linked to higher risks of stroke, heart attack and cardiovascular disease.
Experts have known that flavanols, a type of polyphenol compound that occurs naturally in some fruits, tea, nuts and cocoa beans, have been shown to have cardiovascular health benefits, so they set out to see if they could stave off the harms of prolonged sitting, too.
“Whether we are sitting at desks, behind the wheel of a car, on a train, or on the sofa reading a book or watching TV, we all spend a lot of time seated,” lead author Catarina Rendeiro, Ph.D., assistant professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Birmingham, said in a news release. “Even though we are not moving our bodies, we are still putting them under stress.”
The report notes that researchers have found there is a 13% increased risk of cardiovascular disease even with just a 1% reduction in vascular function.
However, researchers said that eating flavanol-rich foods, such as apples, berries, nuts and tea, during long periods of sitting may help reduce some of the strain inactivity puts on the blood vessels.
Sitting all day? New study says certain foods may protect your heart from damage https://t.co/y2d2ObHzRd #FoxNews
— Patrick Casale (@PatrickCasaleNV) November 29, 2025
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