The Role of Functional Beverages in Mitigating Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors: A Focus on Their Antidiabetic and Hypolipidemic Properties

Abstract

The incidence and mortality rates of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are constantly increasing. Among the main risk factors, diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidaemia, which are equally widespread pathological conditions, stand out. Current preventive strategies are based on physical activity and a healthy, balanced diet. Primary therapies, on the other hand, are based on the administration of hypoglycaemic and cholesterol-lowering drugs. Given the increasing consumer demand for food products with healthy properties, functional beverages may represent a breakthrough in this field. Through a careful analysis of studies conducted over the past seven years, it has emerged that herbal teas, fruit and vegetable drinks, as well as milk- and plant-based beverages, can mitigate these two critical CVD risk factors, often linked to the presence of specific polyphenols or fermentation processes. The selection of in vivo, in vitro and clinical trials revealed the ability of such drinks to reduce the enzymatic activity of α-glucosidase and α-amylase, as well as to decrease circulating lipid levels, properties that were surprisingly also exhibited by beverages derived from food waste. Therefore, this review aims to highlight the possibility of employing these drinks as adjuvant therapy in the treatment of diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidaemia in order to reduce two potential CVD risk factors.