Carotenoids and cardiovascular health

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the main cause of death in Western countries. Nutrition has a significant role in the prevention of many chronic diseases such as CVD, cancers, and degenerative brain diseases. The major risk and protective factors in the diet are well recognized, but interesting new candidates continue to appear. It is well known that a greater intake of fruit and vegetables can help prevent heart diseases and mortality. Because fruit, berries, and vegetables are chemically complex foods, it is difficult to pinpoint any single nutrient that contributes the most to the cardioprotective effects. Several potential components that are found in fruit, berries, and vegetables are probably involved in the protective effects against CVD. Potential beneficial substances include antioxidant vitamins, folate, fiber, and potassium. Antioxidant compounds found in fruit and vegetables, such as vitamin C, carotenoids, and flavonoids, may influence the risk of CVD by preventing the oxidation of cholesterol in arteries. In this review, the role of main dietary carotenoids, ie, lycopene, beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein, and zeaxanthin, in the prevention of heart diseases is discussed. Although it is clear that a higher intake of fruit and vegetables can help prevent the morbidity and mortality associated with heart diseases, more information is needed to ascertain the association between the intake of single nutrients, such as carotenoids, and the risk of CVD. Currently, the consumption of carotenoids in pharmaceutical forms for the treatment or prevention of heart diseases cannot be recommended.

Fruit and vegetable intake and risk of cardiovascular disease

“…Increasing FV intake will also displace other foods from the diet, and therefore increasing intake may have a broader impact on overall diet if those foods have a macro-and micronutrient profile that is potentially less beneficial to health (69) . Much attention has been paid to specific bioactive compounds found in FV, such as vitamin C (70) , carotenoids (71) , and polyphenols (72) , yet these foods are also rich in fibre (73) and nitrate (74) and, therefore, a diet rich in FV will be rich in a complex mixture of micronutrients, phytochemicals and fibre, with the exact combination dependent on the range of FV consumed. Many components of FV have potential health benefits and while this is scientifically interesting, and ultimately may be important both clinically and to public health, evidence is, as yet, too limited to merit a change public health guidelines to focus on a particular class of FV.…”

Cruciferous and Total Vegetable Intakes Are Inversely Associated With Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Older Adult Women

“…Some of these naturally occurring compounds include carotenoids, polyphenols, organosulfur compounds, and nitrogen‐containing compounds 12, 13, 14, 15. Different types of vegetables contain different levels of these putative protective components.…”

Risk and protection factors for cardiovascular diseases among adults of Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil

“…Fruits and vegetables provide micronutrients, fibers, and bioactive and antioxidant substances that can protect the body against oxidative damage and inhibit the synthesis of inflammatory subtances 24 , and therefore work for the prevention of CVDs 24,25 . Among the factors that may have contributed with the apparent increase of the FVG consumption in Cuiabá, the following can be mentioned: increasing internal production and expanded commerce of these products, as well as the increasing income REV BRAS EPIDEMIOL APR-JUN 2015; 18(2): 425-438 of the population, thus elevating the purchasing power 26 .…”