Voutilainen Sari, Nurmi Tarja, Mursu Jaakko, Rissanen Tiina H
Research Institute of Public Health and Department of Public Health and General Practice, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Jun;83(6):1265-71. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/83.6.1265.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the main cause of death in Western countries. Nutrition has a significant role in the prevention of many chronic diseases such as CVD, cancers, and degenerative brain diseases. The major risk and protective factors in the diet are well recognized, but interesting new candidates continue to appear. It is well known that a greater intake of fruit and vegetables can help prevent heart diseases and mortality. Because fruit, berries, and vegetables are chemically complex foods, it is difficult to pinpoint any single nutrient that contributes the most to the cardioprotective effects. Several potential components that are found in fruit, berries, and vegetables are probably involved in the protective effects against CVD. Potential beneficial substances include antioxidant vitamins, folate, fiber, and potassium. Antioxidant compounds found in fruit and vegetables, such as vitamin C, carotenoids, and flavonoids, may influence the risk of CVD by preventing the oxidation of cholesterol in arteries. In this review, the role of main dietary carotenoids, ie, lycopene, beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein, and zeaxanthin, in the prevention of heart diseases is discussed. Although it is clear that a higher intake of fruit and vegetables can help prevent the morbidity and mortality associated with heart diseases, more information is needed to ascertain the association between the intake of single nutrients, such as carotenoids, and the risk of CVD. Currently, the consumption of carotenoids in pharmaceutical forms for the treatment or prevention of heart diseases cannot be recommended.
心血管疾病（CVD）是西方国家的主要死因。营养在预防许多慢性疾病如心血管疾病、癌症和退行性脑疾病方面起着重要作用。饮食中的主要风险和保护因素已广为人知，但有趣的新候选因素仍不断出现。众所周知，增加水果和蔬菜的摄入量有助于预防心脏病和降低死亡率。由于水果、浆果和蔬菜是化学组成复杂的食物，很难确定对心脏保护作用贡献最大的单一营养素。水果、浆果和蔬菜中发现的几种潜在成分可能参与了对心血管疾病的保护作用。潜在的有益物质包括抗氧化维生素、叶酸、纤维和钾。水果和蔬菜中发现的抗氧化化合物，如维生素C、类胡萝卜素和黄酮类化合物，可能通过防止动脉中胆固醇的氧化来影响心血管疾病的风险。在这篇综述中，讨论了主要膳食类胡萝卜素，即番茄红素、β-胡萝卜素、α-胡萝卜素、β-隐黄质、叶黄素和玉米黄质在预防心脏病中的作用。虽然很明显增加水果和蔬菜的摄入量有助于预防与心脏病相关的发病率和死亡率，但需要更多信息来确定单一营养素（如类胡萝卜素）的摄入量与心血管疾病风险之间的关联。目前，不建议使用药物形式的类胡萝卜素来治疗或预防心脏病。
