Effects of High Consumption of Vegetables on Clinical, Immunological, and Antioxidant Markers in Subjects at Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases

Abstract

High intakes of vegetables have been associated with a lower incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). However, the effect of vegetables on immune function and antioxidant status in human studies have provided contrasting results. In the present study, after a week of run-in period, 38 subjects at risk of CVD were randomly assigned to one of the following 4-week interventions: low vegetable consumption (800 g of vegetables/week) or high vegetable consumption (4200 g of vegetables/week). Vegetables included carrots, topinambur (Jerusalem artichoke, Helianthus tuberosus), tomatoes, red cabbage, and sweet peppers. Blood and salivary samples were collected before and after intervention periods. In addition to clinical, immunological, and antioxidant markers, leukocyte and lymphocyte expression of the gut-homing β7 integrin was evaluated. No significant changes were detected in clinical, immunological, and antioxidant markers in biological samples, except for an increase in white blood cell count for the low vegetable consumption group (p < 0.05). The study provides additional evidence about the uncertainty of providing a clear evidence for vegetables in modulating markers of immune function and antioxidant status. Further studies are needed in order to unravel the mechanism of effect of vegetable consumption in cardiovascular prevention.

Antioxidant Food Components for the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases: Effects, Mechanisms, and Clinical Studies

“…Additionally, experimental researches showed that some antioxidant natural products and their active compounds could prevent and treat CVDs through different mechanisms of action [ 24 – 32 ]. Furthermore, clinical trials provided more reliable human evidence on some antioxidant natural products for the prevention and treatment of CVDs [ 33 , 34 ]. The purpose of this review is to summarize the effect of some antioxidant natural products and their bioactive compounds on CVDs from the results of epidemiological, experimental and clinical studies in the last five years, and special attention was paid to the mechanisms of action and clinical trials.…”

Botanical, Phytochemical, Anti-Microbial and Pharmaceutical Characteristics of Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna Jacq.), Rosaceae

“…Variations in redox homeostasis lead to the onset of oxidative stress and, consequently, the dysfunction of various regulatory mechanisms that lead to the start and development of many pathologies, including various types of cancer, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, chronic inflammation and neurological disorders [ 52 , 54 , 55 ]. In this context, dietary plant constituents play a significant and positive role in countering ROS [ 56 , 57 ]. In particular, the intense interaction of redox-active phytochemicals maintains the redox balance that governs the pathways which control, for example, uncontrolled cell proliferation and programmed cell death.…”

Importance of Redox Equilibrium in the Pathogenesis of Psoriasis—Impact of Antioxidant-Rich Diet

“…The same is most likely due to the related high intake of antioxidants, which boosts the organism’s antioxidative capacity and solidifies the related equilibrium. Persons following a vegetarian diet on a long-term basis have been observed to show higher levels of antioxidant compounds in the blood serum and better lipid rates [ 66 ], although consuming increased amounts of vegetables over only several weeks was found to have no significant impact on those parameters [ 67 ]. There is a significant positive correlation between the overall intake of antioxidants and the organism’s antioxidative capacity [ 68 ].…”