Prevention of atherosclerosis: the role of special diets and functional foods.

The importance of diet for prevention of atherosclerosis is supported by numerous studies. However, to date, no rigorous method exists to assess its impact. Dietary ingredients and supplements and functional foods receive special attention as promising components in prevention of atherosclerosis. In this review, we summarize the results of recent studies that demonstrate the direct and indirect effects of functional foods and dietary components on the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. We discuss the possible effects of different diets on the pathological mechanisms at cellular and molecular level, as well as epidemiological and clinical observations.