Diet and endothelial function:  from individual components to dietary patterns.
OBJECTIVE
Endothelial dysfunction plays an important role in development and progression of atherosclerosis and may also contribute to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. This review summarizes recent findings on the effects of vitamin D, antioxidant vitamins, polyphenols, polyphenol-rich foods, dietary component combinations and healthy diets on endothelial function.


RESULTS
Dietary patterns rich in fruit, vegetables, fish and nuts appear to have beneficial effects on endothelial function. With regard to specific foods, cacao and green tea consumption have been associated with improvement in endothelial function and this seems to be due to their flavan-3-ol (catechins and epigallocatechin gallate) content. The evidence for beneficial effects of other foods such as citrus fruit, apples and red wine is less consistent. Recent studies have also suggested beneficial effects of vitamin D and anthocyanins on endothelial function and have provided more insight into potential mechanisms underlying the effect of diet on endothelial function.


CONCLUSIONS
The currently available evidence supports beneficial effects of various dietary compounds on endothelial function. However, in order to obtain strong evidence for relevant health effects that can be used for specific dietary recommendations, more long-term studies using well characterized diets/supplements in a large number of individuals are needed.
Department of Food Science, BioCentre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden. rikard.landberg@lmv.slu.se
Rikard
R
Landberg
Nasheen
N
Naidoo
Rob M
RM
van Dam
D002099:Cacao; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D004032:Diet; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000502:physiology*; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D013662:Tea; D014675:Vegetables
D005419:Flavonoids; D013662:Tea; C404987:flavan-3-ol