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Effects and mechanisms of fruit and vegetable juices<br />

On cardiovascular diseases<br />

Many studies have demonstrated that some natural products have high antioxidant activity, as<br />

Vegetables, fruits, cereals, mushrooms, micro algae, wild flowers and herbs, which might be used to prevent<br />

diseases.<br />

There is a large amount of clinical evidence showing a reduction in the risk of many diseases to live a healthy life by<br />

eating fruit or vegetable juices, some of these diseases are cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and cardiovascular<br />

diseases. Cardiovascular disease includes disorders of blood vessels and the heart, such as hypertension,<br />

cerebrovascular disease, peripheral arterial disease, coronary heart disease and many others. Cardiovascular<br />

diseases are one of the main not communicable causes of deaths, usually associated with metabolic disorders,<br />

including diabetes and obesity.<br />

Mechanisms of action of juice in cardiovascular diseases<br />

Through clinical studies, it was confirmed that after eating rich antioxidant juices daily, the oxidation of lipids in<br />

plasma decreased significantly (- 29%), while the antioxidant capacity of the plasma increased (+ 115%) after<br />

the intervention. In addition some diet managed to reduce tissue inflammation process, which if persistent is<br />

related to most chronic diseases, therefore, could reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. In Li et al. study, he<br />

assessed the effect of lycopene present in tomato juice on the protein-1 tactical chemo of monocytes (MCP-1) and<br />

the result showed that MCP-1 dropped sharply after the consumption of the juice.<br />

Possible adverse effects of juices<br />

It should be noted that the caloric content of the juice could complicate the health. Some commercial juices of fruit<br />

/ vegetables contain too much sugar, which can increase the risk of increasing weight and diabetes. Regular<br />

consumption of beverages sweetened with sugar related to type 2 diabetes, and sweetened fruit juice was not a<br />

healthy alternative to prevent diabetes.<br />

In summary the effects of fruits and vegetables juices in cardiovascular diseases, is positive because they could<br />

prevent the increase of blood pressure and lipid levels improve. The main underlying mechanisms of<br />

cardiovascular protection include antioxidant effects, the improvement in endothelial function, inhibition of<br />

platelet aggregation, the anti-inflammation and the prevention of hiperhomocisteinemia.<br />

It is always important to consult with a professional to assess the issue.<br />

Edited by: Dr. Josue Cordero<br />

Reference<br />

Jie Zheng 1, Yue Zhou 1, Sha Li 2, Pei Zhang 1, Tong Zhou 1, Dong-Ping Xu 1 and Hua-Bin Li 1,3,*<br />

1 Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, <strong>Nutrition</strong> and <strong>Health</strong>, School of Public <strong>Health</strong>,<br />

Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; zhengj37@mail2.sysu.edu.cn (J.Z.);<br />

zhouyue3@mail2.sysu.edu.cn (Y.Z.); zhangp95@mail2.sysu.edu.cn (P.Z.); zhout43@mail2.sysu.edu.cn (T.Z.);<br />

xudp@mail2.sysu.edu.cn (D.-P.X.)<br />

2 School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; u3003781@connect.hku.hk<br />

3 South China Sea Bioresource Exploitation and Utilization Collaborative Innovation Center,<br />

Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China

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