Mediterranean Diet Polyphenols: Anthocyanins and Their Implications for Health

Title:Mediterranean Diet Polyphenols: Anthocyanins and Their Implications for Health

Volume: 21 Issue: 13

Author(s): Simona Martinotti, Gregorio Bonsignore, Mauro Patrone and Elia Ranzato*

Affiliation:

• University of Piemonte Orientale, DiSIT- Dipartimento di Scienze e Innovazione Tecnologica, viale Teresa Michel 11, 15121 Alessandria,Italy

Keywords: Anthocyanins, cardiovascular disease, Mediterranean diet, polyphenols, protective effects, natural products.

Abstract: The Mediterranean diet (MD) is becoming a milestone for the prevention of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Ancel Keys in the 1950’s showed a low mortality rate, particularly for coronary heart disease, among people resident in the Mediterranean area. The MD is characterized by the intake of the high amount of vegetables, fruit, and cereals and regular but moderate consumption of wine, fish, and dairy products, while olive oil is the main source of culinary fat. Therefore, it is principally a plant-based diet rich in polyphenols, a heterogeneous category of compounds with different properties and bioavailabilities. Among polyphenols, anthocyanins have been combined into the human food regime for centuries. They have been utilized as traditional herbal remedies for their ability to treat several conditions, as potent anti-oxidants, anti-diabetic and anti-carcinogenic compounds. This review summarizes our knowledge on the health-enhancing component of the anthocyanins-rich diet.

Cite this article as:

Martinotti Simona , Bonsignore Gregorio , Patrone Mauro and Ranzato Elia *, Mediterranean Diet Polyphenols: Anthocyanins and Their Implications for Health, Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry 2021; 21 (13) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1389557521999201230200813