Dietary Phytochemicals in Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Management: A Comprehensive Review

Author: mycolabadmin
9/3/2025
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Summary

This review examines how plant-based compounds called phytochemicals can help prevent and manage heart disease. These compounds, found in foods like berries, nuts, tea, garlic, and whole grains, work through multiple mechanisms including reducing inflammation, lowering cholesterol, and improving blood vessel function. The review highlights that while pharmaceutical treatments exist, dietary approaches using phytochemical-rich foods offer a cost-effective and sustainable way to support heart health.

Background

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for 17.9 million deaths annually. Despite advances in pharmaceutical treatments, prevention strategies based on dietary and lifestyle changes are increasingly popular. There is growing interest in phytochemicals and bioactive plant compounds for their potential to support cardiovascular health.

Objective

This comprehensive review aims to evaluate the therapeutic value of phytochemicals for the prevention and management of CVD by synthesizing their mechanisms, clinical relevance, and bioavailability. The review examines dietary sources and classifications of cardioprotective phytochemicals and their multiple protective functions including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, lipid-modulating, and endothelial-protective activities.

Results

The review identifies multiple cardioprotective mechanisms including antioxidant effects, anti-inflammatory activity, lipid metabolism regulation, improved endothelial function, antihypertensive effects, and anti-atherosclerotic properties. Phytochemicals from Mediterranean and DASH diets demonstrate significant cardiovascular benefits, with specific compounds like berberine, resveratrol, lycopene, and curcumin showing clinical efficacy in reducing CVD risk markers.

Conclusion

Dietary phytochemicals offer compelling therapeutic potential for CVD prevention and management through multiple molecular pathways. The review highlights the need for standardized dosing protocols and further clinical research to fully establish phytochemicals as adjuvant therapies in cardiovascular health management, while emphasizing their cost-effective integration into dietary prevention strategies.

Published in:Food Science & Nutrition,
Study Type:Comprehensive Review,
Source: PMID: 40909258, DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.70872