Impact of Dietary Flavanols on Microvascular Function in Young Females During Mental Stress

The aim of this project is to examine whether flavonoids, which are small molecules naturally present in cocoa, as well as fruits and vegetables such as berries, tea, citrus fruits, apple (typically responsible for giving these foods their strong colours), can be used to protect the human vascular system. Impaired vascular function, as determined by measuring vasodilator responses to various everyday stimuli, can be linked to elevated blood pressure (hypertension) and prevalence of cardiovascular disease. Vascular response to mental stress in particular have been shown to be associated with future risk of cardiovascular disease. Findings from this study could have implications for effective prevention of cardiovascular events in groups with increased cardiovascular risk, such as South Asians and in particular, South Asian women.