Abstract
Functional foods and their biologically active compounds have been widely studied as a group of foods of great importance for preventing the development of chronic diseases. Cardiovascular disease is a global health problem that can be alleviated with functional foods. The reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease can be measured using specific biomarkers of cardiovascular disease, such as lipid profile, endothelial function, platelet activation, hemostasis and biomarkers of inflammation. Some functional biologically active compounds may play an important role in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, beneficially affecting the levels of these biomarkers. The purpose of this study was to study the effect of functional foods on biomarkers of cardiovascular diseases, as well as the possible improvement of indicators when taking a functional food mixture. Methods: A literature search to identify articles was conducted using PubMed, Science Direct. The results were analyzed in twenty-seven publications. In all these publications, the positive effect of functional products on biomarkers has been reported. Most often, positive results were noted from the use of soy products, dairy products, pomegranates, cranberries and vegetarian diets and the Okinawa diet.