IJCS | Volume 32, Nº2, May/June 2019

DOI: 10.5935/2359-4802.20190037 205 EDITORIAL International Journal of Cardiovascular Sciences. 2019;32(3)205-206 Mailing Address: Mariana Sarto Figueiredo Universidade Federal Fluminense - Nutrition and Dietetic - Rua Mário Santos Braga, nº 30, 4º andar. Postal Code: 24220-900, Valonguinho, Centro , Niterói, RJ – Brazil. E-mail: marisartof@gmail.com Consumption of Brazil Nuts Provides Cardiovascular Health Benefits Mariana Sarto Figueired o Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ - Brazil Nuts; Brazil Nuts; Cardiovascular Diseases; Risk Reduction Behavior; Healthy Diet; anti-Inflammatory Agents. Keywords Indroduction The prevalence of chronic diseases, such as metabolic syndrome, obesity, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2), cancer, andneurodegenerative and cardiovascular disorders have been increasing in the world population. However, cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of mortality andmorbidity worldwide. According to the Barker’s Theory (1993), hormonal, nutritional or environmental changes during critical periods of development such as gestation, lactation or adolescence may result in changes to the basic functions of the human body in childhood and “program” the progeny for the emergence of chronic diseases in the adult life, like DM2, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, intestinal dysbiosis, and hormonal and metabolic dysregulation. This phenomenon is known as “metabolic programming” or “developmental plasticity”. 1,2 In the same direction, many authors have demonstrated the impact of an unhealthy diet on the development of chronic diseases such as metabolic syndrome, obesity, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and increased cardiovascular disorders. 3,4 On the other hand, we know that the regular consumption of plant-based foods (cereals, fruits, vegetables, legumes, tree nuts and seeds), moderate consumption of seafood, fish and dairy and reduced consumption of alcohol, red meat and meat products may prevent and/or protect against diseases and provide health benefits, which is now widely recognized by health professionals. 5,6 Nutrition is essential for life and essential chemical compounds from foods and drinks such as proteins, fatty acids, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals are required by the organism to support its physiological functions, like energy production, growth, development and reproduction. 7 Thereby, nutrients are one of the most important elements that can regulate enzymes and molecular and functional events in the cells or in the whole body, which, depending on the quality and quantity, can predispose humans to chronic diseases. 8 It is important to highlight that, particularly after the Industrial Revolution worldwide, the diet of modern human society is actually based on processed foods, , which are rich in sugar, salt and saturated fat and poor in minerals and vitamins. Thus, the inclusion of food with functional properties or bioactive compounds such as monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), phenolic compounds andminerals are gaining increasing recognition as integral components of lifestyle changes against the development of cardiovascular diseases. Recently, the review that presents the association of nuts with cardiovascular diseases highlights some of these compounds present in food that can add important benefits to the cardiovascular health. 9 In this direction, the nuts (Brazil nuts, American almonds, pistachios, walnuts and hazelnuts) are an important source of MUFA and PUFA, which present anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, improve dyslipidemia and contain selenium and phenolic acids. These compounds could also benefit the cardiovascular health. Silva et al. (2018) showed that regular consumption of 5 to 50 grams of Brazil nuts from 1 day to 16 weeks can increase plasma selenium, improve oxidative balance (increase GPx activity and nitric oxide with decreased MDA), improve lipid profile (increase HDL-c, decrease LDL-c and triglycerides) and reduce inflammation