Anti-hypertensive nutraceuticals and functional foods.
Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that elevated blood pressure is one of the major risk factors for stroke and coronary heart disease (CHD). A close association between blood pressure and the incidence of cardiovascular diseases is well established if systolic/diastolic blood pressure is above 140/90 mmHg. In recent years, nutraceuticals and functional foods have attracted considerable interest as potential alternative therapies for treatment of hypertension, especially for prehypertensive patients, whose blood pressure is marginally or mildly high but not high enough to warrant the prescription of blood pressure-lowering medications. This review summarizes the findings of recent studies on the chemistry, production, application, efficacy, and mechanisms of popular blood pressure-lowering nutraceuticals and functional foods including the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet plan, L-arginine, chlorogenic acid, fermented milk, garlic, onion, tea, soybean, ginger, hawthorn, and fish oil.
Department of Biochemistry, Food and Nutritional Sciences Programme, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong, China. zhenyuchen@cuhk.edu.hk
Zhen-Yu
ZY
Chen
Cheng
C
Peng
Rui
R
Jiao
Yin Mei
YM
Wong
Nan
N
Yang
Yu
Y
Huang
D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000032:analysis; D005504:Food Analysis; D006801:Humans
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents