Non-nutrients and nutrients from Latin American fruits for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases

• Published in: Food research international Vol. 139; p. 109844
• Main Authors: Aguiar, Lais Marinho, Bicas, Juliano Lemos, Fuentes, Eduardo, Alarcón, Marcelo, Gonzalez, Ivan Palomo, Pastore, Gláucia Maria, Maróstica, Mário Roberto, Cazarin, Cinthia Baú Betim
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Canada Elsevier Ltd 01-01-2021
• Subjects: Carotenoids; Fibers; Minerals; Non-communicable disease; Polyphenols; Polyphenols; Non-communicable disease; Carotenoids; Minerals; Fibers
• ISSN: 0963-9969; 1873-7145
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2020.109844

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•Fruits and vegetable intake is critical strategies for reducing the risk of CVDs.•Biodiversity of Latin America as a rich source of bioactive compounds.•Bioactive compounds act as protective against cardiovascular disease.•Healthy benefits are attributed to bioactive compounds present in fruits and vegetables.
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have been rapidly increasing; among them, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are responsible for around 1/3 of deaths in the world. Environmental factors play a central role in their development. Diet is a very important factor in this scenario, and the intake of fruits and vegetables has been considered as one of the critical strategies for reducing the risk of CVDs. Fruits are a source of micronutrients and bioactive compounds that could have cardioprotective effects through several distinct mechanisms, such as antioxidant, antithrombotic and antiplatelet activities, vasodilatation, improvement of plasma lipid profiles, and modulation of inflammatory signaling. Brazil has a very rich and unexplored biodiversity in its different biomes, with several types of fruit, which are a source of bioactive compounds and micronutrients with therapeutic properties. In this sense, this review shows the current knowledge regarding the cardioprotective properties of selected Latin American and Brazilian fruits, including their effects on the activation of platelets and on the inflammation processes involved in atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases.