Beneficial properties of plants and their derived extracts on the cardiovascular system.

The impact of the quality of our diet on our well-being and on the maintenance of our health is now well recognised. In particular, in recent years the importance of micronutrients contained in food has been highlighted. Micronutrients include not only minerals and vitamins (which have long been recognised and studied for their importance), but also a number of other substances contained in small amounts in our food, which are essential for good health. These include glycosides and flavonoids, which may be classified into different chemical classes such as flavanols, anthocyanins, flavones and others. Most of these are typical of the Mediterranean diet. The beneficial properties of the Mediterranean diet (now recognised by UNESCO as intangible heritage that must be preserved) for human health, and in particular for the heart and the cardiovascular system, may be explained by the content in these compounds. Even wine, an integral part of the Mediterranean diet, when consumed in moderate amounts, has favourable antioxidant activity, improving some aspects of blood circulation. In addition to the intrinsic value of the Mediterranean diet, the recent findings on the beneficial properties of chocolate should be remembered. When consumed in the right quantities, it can also contribute to the proper maintenance of the vascular system. ©CEC editore - Springer-Verlag Italia 2014.