The Role of Food Supplementation in Microcirculation—A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

(1) Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major public health concern worldwide and a key cause of morbidity and mortality in developed countries. Accumulating evidence shows that several CVD forms are characterized by significant microcirculatory dysfunction, which may both cause and be caused by macrovascular disease, often preceding clinical manifestations by several years. Therefore, interest in exploring food supplements to prevent and restore microcirculation has grown. Given the continuous need to expand the available therapeutic arsenal for CVD, the food supplements market has recently grown and is expected to continue growing. (2) Methods: We provide an authoritative up-to-date comprehensive review of the impact of food supplementation on microcirculation by analyzing the European and American legal food supplements framework and the importance of food safety/food quality in this industry. We review the main literature about food bioactive compounds with a focus on microcirculation and some main food supplements with proven benefits. (3) Results: Despite a lack of scientific evidence, diet and microcirculatory function are clearly connected. The main food supplement examples in the literature with potential beneficial effects on microcirculation are: Ruscus aculeatus, Centella asiatica, Ginkgo biloba, Salvia miltiorrhiza, Crataegus spp., Ginseng, Mangifera indica, Aesculus hipocastanum, Hamamelis virginiana, and Vitis vinifera. (4) Conclusions: Further clinical trials are necessary to better explore the effects of these food supplements, particularly on humans.

Some Common Medicinal Plants with Antidiabetic Activity, Known and Available in Europe (A Mini-Review)

“…In Europe, ginseng is an available and well-known ingredient. It usually appears in a dried form, extracts, or dietary supplements [195]. According to EFSA, Panax ginseng was used as the food of food ingredient before the year 1997; thus, it is not a novel food product [104] (Table 2).…”

Current Knowledge on Interactions of Plant Materials Traditionally Used in Skin Diseases in Poland and Ukraine with Human Skin Microbiota

“…Hamamelis virginiana L., also known as witch hazel, is a shrub that belongs to the Hamamelidaceae family [ 63 , 64 ]. Preparations from Hamamelis leaves, bark, and twigs, present in extracts, tinctures, creams, and salves, are utilized to treat dermatological (sunburn, irritated skin, and atopic eczema) and vascular disorders (hemorrhoids, varicose veins, and phlebitis), highlighting the fact that this plant has a wide range of biologically active substances [ 64 , 65 , 66 ].…”

“…Leaves contain 3–10% of tannins (a mixture of gallotannins and condensed catechins–procyanidins); notably a small amount of hamamelitannin; phenolic acids (caffeic and gallic acids); flavonoids such as kaempferol, quercetin, quercitrin, and isoquercitrin; and essential oil [ 26 , 64 , 67 , 68 , 69 ]. Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that this plant has antitumoral, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, and antimutagenic activity [ 63 , 64 , 68 , 69 , 70 ]. For instance, the extract of witch hazel leaves and small twigs can decrease the amount of IL-8 produced by fibroblast cells [ 71 ].…”

Mass spectrometry and synchrotron‐FTIR microspectroscopy reveal the anti‐inflammatory activity of Bua Bok extracts

“…[9][10][11] Whole plant parts of Bua Bok are valuable raw materials for pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries. [12][13][14] High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) routinely showed chemical composition varies between batches depending on raw materials and manufacturing processes. [15][16][17] In order to forecast biological properties, this research proposed a spectroscopic analysis of a cellular model using the comparative results of different extracted fractions on inflammatory induced macrophages.…”