**5. Diet**

Several epidemiological studies suggest that a correct diet is significantly associated with reduced risks of CVDs. Phytochemicals including polyphenols like flavonoids, resveratrol and ellagitannins have been shown to be associated with lower risks of CVDs [30,31]. In fact, they are potent anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory agents, thereby counteracting oxidative damage and inflammation. Actually, dietary anti-oxidants have attracted con‐ siderable attention as preventive and therapeutic agents. There is adequate evidence from observational *in vitro*, *ex vivo* and *in vivo* studies that consumption of certain foods results to a reduction in oxidative stress [27]. Evidence linking dietary anti-oxidants to atherosclerosis in humans is still circumstantial and although in some studies the associa‐ tion of anti-oxidant intake and low risk for atherosclerosis is perceptible, in others this association cannot be established. The inconsistency of the results reflects the limitations of human studies, the diet differences, the pre-existing total anti-oxidant status, the stage of disease, the interaction between dietary modulation and genetic composition of indi‐ viduals, the dosage and duration of supplementation, the age and the sex. On the other hand, studies in animal models of atherosclerosis clearly show an atheroprotective effect of dietary anti-oxidants, however, they focus mainly on early atherosclerotic events and not in advanced atherosclerosis as in humans [27].

Cardiovascular prevention and treatment strategies should consider the simple, direct and inexpensive dietary approach as a first-line strategy to the burgeoning burden of CVDs, alone or in combination with pharmalogic treatments [10].

In this review we focus our attention on the main natural anti-oxidants contained in food and on their primary diet source.
