Polyphenol-based nutraceuticals for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease: Review of human evidence

Phytomedicine. 2016 Oct 15;23(11):1145-74. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2015.10.018. Epub 2015 Dec 12.

Abstract

Background: In addition to prescription drugs, nutraceuticals/functional foods/medical foods are being increasingly added as adjunct treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD), even though most of them have been exclusively studied in vitro.

Hypothesis/purpose: We review the available evidence (focusing on when the amount of polyphenols' intake was measured) coming from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of (poly)phenol-based supplements.

Conclusion: We conclude that (poly)phenol-based nutraceuticals and functional foods might be indeed used as adjunct therapy of CVD, but additional long-term RCTs with adequate numerosity and with clinically relevant end points are needed to provide unequivocal evidence of their clinical usefulness.

Keywords: Cardiovascular disease; Functional foods; Nutraceuticals; Polyphenols; Randomized controlled trials.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Cardiovascular Diseases / drug therapy*
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / prevention & control*
  • Dietary Supplements*
  • Functional Food
  • Gastrointestinal Microbiome / drug effects
  • Herb-Drug Interactions
  • Humans
  • Inflammation / drug therapy
  • Polyphenols / administration & dosage
  • Polyphenols / pharmacology*
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

Substances

  • Polyphenols