The emerging link between nutrition, inflammation and atherosclerosis

Abstract

A number of dietary components modulate the inflammatory response in humans, thereby affecting cardiovascular risk. As basic research provides a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of vascular function regulation by nutrients, clinical investigation and outcome studies demonstrate the relevance of dietary factors to the prevention and treatment of vascular disease. Benefits of dietary interventions may be attributable to weight loss or to more specialized mechanisms in which inflammation is targeted directly. Available evidence indicates that dietary intervention should be an integral part of therapeutic approaches for treating conditions such as the metabolic syndrome and, ultimately, for the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Keywords::

• alcohol consumption
• glycemic index
• inflammation
• Mediterranean diet
• metabolic syndrome
• omega-3 fatty acids
• saturated fatty acids