Abstract

Novel Food: A Strategy to Reduce Cardiovascular Disease

Author(s): Deepak Sharma and Asha Sharma

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) such as coronary artery disease, arrhythmias, angina pectoris and hypertension have become a major health problem throughout the world. The major modifiable risk factors of developing CVDs are unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, smoking, hyperlipidaemia, obesity and high intake of alcohol. The role of diet in the etiology of most CVDs is extremely important. The industrial revolution in the last few decades has introduced radical changes in methods of food production, processing, storage and distribution. Economic developments together with recent technological innovations and modern marketing techniques have further modified dietary preferences. Current scientific evidences increasingly support the notion that novel foods have many potential health benefits. Novel foods are traditional foods with newly defined significances on humans. This article focuses on role of novel foods in cardiovascular disease prevention and health promotion.