The potential role of plant-derived natural products in improving arterial stiffness: A review of dietary intervention studies

Background: Arterial stiffness is an early marker of cardiovascular disease. In fact, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, the gold standard method for the evaluation of arterial stiffness, has a positive correlation with cardiovascular events and mortality. A number of studies have shown that the consumption of different phytochemicals and plant-derived natural foods can improve arterial elasticity through various molecular mechanisms. Scope and approach: The principal purpose of this review was to provide a summary of the clinical evidence provided by different interventional studies on the potential beneficial effects of some natural products and nutraceuticals on arterial stiffness. Key findings and conclusions: There is evidence that some foods and food components, including cocoa flavanols, tea, watermelon, grapefruit, grape juice, berries, cherries, apples, psyllium, tomatoes, garlic, beetroot, melinja, pistachio, walnut, astaxanthin, curcumin, and safflower seeds assumption are associated with significant improvements in arterial stiffness in both healthy subjects and subjects with mildly increased cardiovascular disease risk. Further studies are needed to confirm these promising data.