Vegetables coronary heart disease

HUMAN TOXICITY DATA controlled trial of the effect of linolenic acid has shown incidence of coronary heart disease vegetable oil aerosol spray intoxication has been reported in humans. 

Dauchet, L. et al., Fruit and vegetable consumption and risk of coronary heart disease a meta-analysis of cohort studies, J. Nutr., 136, 2588, 2006. 

Joshipura K, Hu F, Manson J, Stamfer M, Rimm E, Speizer F, Coltiz G, Asherio A, Rosner B, Spiegelman D and Willett W. 2001. The effect of fruit and vegetable intake on risk on coronary heart disease. Ann IntMed 134 1106-1114. 

Polyphenols and flavonoids present in red wine and grape juice, fruits and vegetables, have potent antioxidant activity, which may slow down oxidative modification of LDL, and their subsequent toxicity (Wedworth and Lynch, 1995). Phenolic compounds exert cytoprotection on vascular cultured cells by inhibiting the calcium rise and subsequent oxidized LDL-mediated cell death (Vieira et al, 1998). These compounds may play a role in the relatively low level of coronary heart disease in Prance ( Fnench Paradox ) and other Mediterranean countries (Renaud and Ruf, 1994). 

The role of the antioxidant properties of vitamins C, E, and p-carotene in the prevention of cardiovascular disease has been the focus of several recent studies. Antioxidants reduce the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins, which may play a role in the prevention of atherosclerosis. However, an inverse relationship between the intake or plasma levels of these vitamins and the incidence of coronary heart disease has been found in only a few epidemiological studies. One study showed that antioxidants lowered the level of high-density lipoprotein 2 and interfered with the effects of lipid-altering therapies given at the same time. While many groups recommend a varied diet rich in fruits and vegetables for the prevention of coronary artery disease, empirical data do not exist to recommend antioxidant supplementation for the prevention of coronary disease. 

Monounsaturated fats Triacylglycerols containing primarily fatty acids with one double bond are referred to as monounsaturated fat. Unsaturated fatty acids are generally derived from vegetables and fish. When substituted for saturated fatty acids in the diet, monounsaturated fats lower both total plasma cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, but increase HDLs. This ability of monounsaturated fats to favorably modify lipoprotein levels may explain, in part, the observation that Mediterranean cultures, with diets rich in olive oil (high in monounsaturated oleic acid), show a low incidence of coronary heart disease. 

Evidence that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables may protect against coronary heart disease is accumulating. It is unclear exactly which substances in fruits and vegetables are responsible for the observed inverse association with cardiovascular disease. The inverse association may be attributed to folate, antioxidant vitamins, or other constituents such as fiber, potassium, fla-vonoids, or other phytochemicals. The protective effect of folate may be attributed to its role as a cosubstrate in homocysteine metabolism (Eichholzer et al., 2001). 

The observed associations between folate, antioxidant vitamins, and cardiovascular disease may be confounded by other substances in fruits and vegetables, as the following examples of studies show Flavonoids (see Chapter 31) are naturally occurring, water-soluble antioxidants found widely distributed in vegetables, fruits, tea, and wine. There is an inverse relationship between flavonoids and decreased risk of coronary heart disease. Lycopene, the key antioxidant in tomatoes, shows an inverse association with myocardial infarctions. There is an inverse association between folate and cardiovascular disease. 

The observation of a lower incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) and certain types of cancers in the Mediterranean area led to the hypothesis that a diet rich in grain, legumes, fresh fruits and vegetables, wine in moderate amounts, and olive oil was beneficial to human health. To date, this effect has been mainly attributed to the low saturated fat intake of the Mediterranean diet and its high proportion of monounsaturates, which indeed may favorably affect the plasma lipid and lipoprotein profiles. Nevertheless, other components of the diet, such as fiber, vitamins, flavonoids, and phenols, may play an important role in disease prevention, acting on different cardiovascular variables. 

FMC 1—1000 (ART-RRRT) 14 yrs 4697 M-F Reduction of coronary heart disease comparing tertiles. Vegetables and fruits also reduce coronary heart disease due to the content of vitamin C and carotenoids. 125... 

In another study (38) on coronary primary prevention, the placebo-controlled trial of colestyramine resin in coronary heart disease (CHD), the serum carotenoids levels were found inversely related to CHD events. In the same study, there was no evidence of activity of Se and a-tocopherol, The authors concluded that there was no proof of a cause-and-effect relation and that it was possible that another constituent of the diet could be present together with /3-carotene in the same food products. Consequently, the final suggestion was to increase the consumption of yellow fruits and green leafy vegetables. 

Rimm, E.B., Ascherio, A., Giovannucci, E., Spiegeknan, D., Stampfer, M.J., and Willett, W.C., Vegetable, fruit, and cereal fiber intake and risk of coronary heart disease among men, JAMA, 275, 447, 1996. 

The consumption of fat of high saturated fatty acid content has been associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease. Traditional sunflower oil contains around 11-12% saturated fatty acids, a considerably low value among vegetable oils. Canola oil has 7% and safflower oil less than 10% of saturated fatty acids, both being strong competitors of the edible oil market. 

Cardiovascular diseases are a major cause of death in developed countries, making prevention a priority for public health policy. Research evidence over years has shown that cardiovascular diseases can be managed and even prevented by healthful eating practices involving a resveratrol-enriched diet of whole plant foods such as offered by superfruits. For more than fifty years, research has shown that a healthful, active lifestyle combined with the dietary benefit of high fruit and vegetable intake may lower blood lipid levels, blood pressure, and risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. 

There is increasing evidence that in addition to the traditional antioxidative vitamins, other compounds may also have important antioxidative functions in the human body. The antioxidant vitamins C and E, together with other antioxidants from products such as tea, wine and other foods of vegetable origin may thus play a critical role in the reduction or in the delay of the onset of degenerative diseases, including coronary heart diseases (CHD) (Biesalski, 1999). It is not yet well established as to what extent antioxidants have protective properties beyond the levels obtained through a balanced diet (Halliwell, 1997 Stahelin, 1999). 

The UK Committee On Medical Aspects (COMA) of food policy reports of 1984 and 1994, in pointing out that coronary heart disease and cerebral vascular disease (stroke) account for more than one-third of the deaths in the UK and that one in two adults i.e. 20 million) in the UK are clinically overweight, suggest dietary changes. The main recommendations are that blood cholesterol levels are kept below 5.2 units (a figure currently exceeded by 70% of the UK adult population) and that more starchy foods, vegetables, fruit, and oily fish are eaten to replace reduced intakes of salt and of fatty and sugary foods. 

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