The relationship between dietary factors and coronary heart disease (CHD) has
been a major focus of health research for almost half a century. The pioneering
work of Keys and Aravanis (1980) stimulated many subsequent studies of diet and
CHD, which have evaluated the effects of numerous dietary nutrients, foods, and
dietary patterns on CHD risk. It has been suggested that broader adherence to
recommendations for daily intake of fruits, vegetables, fish, and fatty acids may
take away as much as 20–30 % of the burden of CVD and result in approximately
1 extra life year for a 40-year-old individual (Engelfrieta et al. 2010). Also, a
Spanish cohort study showed an inverse association between adherence to the
Mediterranean diet and the incidence of fatal and nonfatal CVD in initially healthy
middle-aged adults (Martínez-González et al. 2011).
In another study, whole-grain and bran intakes were associated with reduced
all-cause and CVD-specific mortality in women with diabetes mellitus suggesting
a potential benefit of whole-grain intake in reducing mortality and cardiovascular
risk in diabetic patients (He et al. 2010). Certain plant-derived foods and drinks,
including chocolate, wine, berry juices, different types of tea, among others, have
been targeted for different studies in the last decades for their potential use or
benefit on cardiovascular health, both in vitro and in vivo. These foods contain a
wide range of phenolic compounds, including flavonols, flavanols (catechins),
procyanidins, and/or anthocyanins (Pascual-Teresa et al. 2010).
A randomized, parallel, controlled clinical trial in healthy volunteers suggests
that benefits associated with the traditional mediterranean diet (TMD) and VOO
consumption could be mediated through changes in atherosclerosis-related gene
expression (Konstantinidou et al. 2010). TMD consumption decreased plasma
oxidative and inflammatory status and gene expression related with both inflammation [INF-c (INFc), Rho GTPase-activating protein15 (ARHGAP15), and
interleukin-7 receptor (IL7R)] and oxidative stress [adrenergic b 2 -receptor
(ADRB2) and polymerase (DNA-directed) j (POLK)] in PBMC. All effects, with
the exception of the decrease in POLK expression, were particularly observed
when VOO, rich in polyphenols, was present in the TMD dietary pattern. Intake of
another phenolic rich food, whole grape, impacts cardiac peroxisome proliferatoractivated receptor, nuclear factor jB activity and cytokine expression in rats with
diastolic dysfunction that may be significant to the observed diet-associated cardioprotection (Seymour et al. 2010).
Li et al. (2013) reported that quercetin and rutin exhibit cardioprotective effects
on cardiac fibrosis induced by isoproterenol in rat’s heart, moreover, the effects of
rutin are weaker than quercetin in the same dose. The mechanism of these effects
may be related to anti-oxidative stress, the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system
inhibition, decrease expression of transforming growth factor b-1 TGF-b1 and
CTGF, and subsequent reduction in the deposition of the extracellular matrix.
While an onion peel extract may have anti-thrombotic effects by downregulating
MAPK activation upon coagulation stimulus, leading to prolong time for arterial
thrombosis (Lee et al. 2013). Enzymatic extract of rice bran restores endothelial
function and vascular contractility in obese rats by reducing vascular inflammation
308
R. Campos-Vega et al.
been a major focus of health research for almost half a century. The pioneering
work of Keys and Aravanis (1980) stimulated many subsequent studies of diet and
CHD, which have evaluated the effects of numerous dietary nutrients, foods, and
dietary patterns on CHD risk. It has been suggested that broader adherence to
recommendations for daily intake of fruits, vegetables, fish, and fatty acids may
take away as much as 20–30 % of the burden of CVD and result in approximately
1 extra life year for a 40-year-old individual (Engelfrieta et al. 2010). Also, a
Spanish cohort study showed an inverse association between adherence to the
Mediterranean diet and the incidence of fatal and nonfatal CVD in initially healthy
middle-aged adults (Martínez-González et al. 2011).
In another study, whole-grain and bran intakes were associated with reduced
all-cause and CVD-specific mortality in women with diabetes mellitus suggesting
a potential benefit of whole-grain intake in reducing mortality and cardiovascular
risk in diabetic patients (He et al. 2010). Certain plant-derived foods and drinks,
including chocolate, wine, berry juices, different types of tea, among others, have
been targeted for different studies in the last decades for their potential use or
benefit on cardiovascular health, both in vitro and in vivo. These foods contain a
wide range of phenolic compounds, including flavonols, flavanols (catechins),
procyanidins, and/or anthocyanins (Pascual-Teresa et al. 2010).
A randomized, parallel, controlled clinical trial in healthy volunteers suggests
that benefits associated with the traditional mediterranean diet (TMD) and VOO
consumption could be mediated through changes in atherosclerosis-related gene
expression (Konstantinidou et al. 2010). TMD consumption decreased plasma
oxidative and inflammatory status and gene expression related with both inflammation [INF-c (INFc), Rho GTPase-activating protein15 (ARHGAP15), and
interleukin-7 receptor (IL7R)] and oxidative stress [adrenergic b 2 -receptor
(ADRB2) and polymerase (DNA-directed) j (POLK)] in PBMC. All effects, with
the exception of the decrease in POLK expression, were particularly observed
when VOO, rich in polyphenols, was present in the TMD dietary pattern. Intake of
another phenolic rich food, whole grape, impacts cardiac peroxisome proliferatoractivated receptor, nuclear factor jB activity and cytokine expression in rats with
diastolic dysfunction that may be significant to the observed diet-associated cardioprotection (Seymour et al. 2010).
Li et al. (2013) reported that quercetin and rutin exhibit cardioprotective effects
on cardiac fibrosis induced by isoproterenol in rat’s heart, moreover, the effects of
rutin are weaker than quercetin in the same dose. The mechanism of these effects
may be related to anti-oxidative stress, the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system
inhibition, decrease expression of transforming growth factor b-1 TGF-b1 and
CTGF, and subsequent reduction in the deposition of the extracellular matrix.
While an onion peel extract may have anti-thrombotic effects by downregulating
MAPK activation upon coagulation stimulus, leading to prolong time for arterial
thrombosis (Lee et al. 2013). Enzymatic extract of rice bran restores endothelial
function and vascular contractility in obese rats by reducing vascular inflammation
308
R. Campos-Vega et al.