Vitamins and Supplements that enhance your heart’s health
Niacin has long been used to increase people’s levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or the “good” cholesterol, and has been a major focus of research into heart disease prevention for several decades. However, clinical trials have not shown that taking niacin in any form actually prevents heart problems.
Niacin (vitamin B3)
While statins are busy crippling the human genome under a fraudulent promise of improved longevity, pantethine is again proven to be a true cardio-friendly nutrient.
Pantethine ( vitamin B5)
Foods rich in B vitamins such as folate and B-6 may reduce the risk of death from stroke and heart problems, Japanese researchers say.
Other B Vitamins
folic acid and cardiovascular disease
Folic acid is one of the B vitamins that helps break down an amino acid in the blood called homocysteine – which in excess is related to a higher risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease, also called peripheral artery disease or PAD. The American Heart Association does not recommend widespread use of B vitamin supplements to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Instead, a healthy, balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains and fat-free or low-fat dairy products is advised. For folic acid, the recommended daily value is 400 micrograms. Citrus fruits, tomatoes, vegetables and grain products are good sources.
Vitamin C May Lower Your Blood Pressure and Help Keep Arteries Flexible. … It may help keep your arteries flexible and prevents damage to LDL cholesterol. People with low levels of vitamin C are at increased risk of heart attack, peripheral artery disease, and stroke, all of which can stem from atherosclerosis
Recent studies also show that vitamin D deficiency is linked to more serious health risks such as coronary artery disease, heart attacks, and strokes.
The study shows that Vitamin D3 — which is made by the body naturally when skin is exposed to the sun — can significantly restore the damage to the cardiovascular system caused by several diseases, including hypertension, diabetes and atherosclerosis.
Vitamin K is a nutrient that the body needs in small amounts to function and stay healthy. Vitamin K helps to form blood clots (a mass that forms when blood platelets, proteins, and cells stick together) and maintain strong bones. It is fat-soluble (can dissolve in fats and oils) and is found in green leafy vegetables, broccoli, liver, and vegetable oils. Vitamin K is also made by bacteria that live in the large intestine. Not enough vitamin K can lead to bleeding and bruising. It is a type of phylloquinone.
Minerals
Magnesium Deficit Increases Cardiovascular Risk. Because magnesium is essential for healthy control of blood vessel function, blood pressure regulation, and normal heart contractions, a deficiency in magnesium increases risk of conditions such as endothelial dysfunction, hypertension, and cardiacarrythmias.
In addition to essential metabolic functions, the level of zinc in the body also affects the heart muscle. When oxidative stress occurs, it may be due to a shortage of zinc, which can be determined by examining the heart muscle. A new study shows the relationship between the total amount of zinc in the body and cardiac function.
Anitoxidants
In one study, researchers at the University of Toronto found that curcumin blocks a wide range of biochemical reactions involved in cardiac hypertrophy (enlargement of the heart chambers), inflammation, and fibrosis.
Curcumin – antioxidant, anti-inflammatory
Red wine, in moderation, has long been thought of as heart healthy. The alcohol and certain substances in red wine called antioxidants may help prevent coronary artery disease, the condition that leads to heart attacksl
Resveratrol – antioxidant – polyphenol
There are more than 750 carotenoids…..that are divided into xanthophylls and carotenes
Carotenoids and cardiovascular health
Lycopene is an antioxidant that is present in red- and pink-colored fruits and vegetables. It has been shown to have heart, blood pressure, prostate, osteoporosis, skin and other benefits in both natural and synthetic forms.
Flavonoid consumption has been inversely associated with long-term mortality from coronary heart disease when different population groups with a wide range of flavonoid intakes are examined
L-carnitine significantly improves cardiac health in patients after a heart attack, say a multicenter team of investigators in a study published today in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Research on the Effects of Carnitine
Herbs
Oleogum resin (known as guggul) from the guggul tree, Commiphora mukul, found in India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, has been used to treat various diseases including hyper-cholesterolemia, atherosclerosis, rheumatism, and obesity over several thousands of years.
The best-known herb for the heart in western herbalism is hawthorn, which is a small tree or shrub that grows throughout the northern hemisphere.
New research has discovered that a specific form of garlic, Aged Garlic Extract (AGE), significantly reduces low-attenuation plaque, also known as “soft plaque” or non-calcified plaque, within the arteries of patients with metabolic syndrome
There are numerous human studies conducted on Arjuna bark, although many of them are low in sample size. Nevertheless, the water extract appears to be effective in improving cardiac function in persons who have recently undergone cardiac trauma or injury; Myocardial Infarction is the most commonly researched ailment in this regard. Only one study exists on otherwise healthy persons, but Arjuna showed benefit in improving left ventricle function in an exercise test and the benefits may affect a person regardless of health state.
Danshen is used for circulation problems, type of stroke caused by a blood clot in the brain (ischemic stroke) , chest pain (angina pectoris), fat build up in the blood vessels (atherosclerosis), high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart attack, and other diseases of the heart and blood vessels.
Reishi mushroom [Lingzhi] is helpful for the cardiovascular system health. The main compounds in Reishi mushroom that assist in improving heart health are sterols, polysaccharides (Beta-D-glucans), triterpenes (Ganoderic Acids) and also adenosine. As mentioned above the most common heart disease can be coronary artery illness, the accumulation involving plaque build-up within the blood.
The physiological effects of G. biloba on the cardiovascular system are uncertain. Several studies have suggested antioxidant and free-radical scavenger effects. There is also suggestion of inhibition of platelet aggregation. There have been reports of association G. biloba with bleeding, which has been attributed to antiplatelet aggregation effects. It was also suggested that G. biloba improved blood flow by increased release of nitric oxide and the inhibition of nitric oxide degradation in the endothelium. (7–10)
Maidenhair Tree (Ginkgo biloba)
Digoxin is currently used to control heart rate in some patients with an irregular heartbeat, and has been shown to improve heart failure symptoms. However, the fact that it can be poisonous and needs to be monitored means that it is not commonly prescribed
Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea/lanata)
Ginseng refers to eleven different varieties of a short, slow-growing plant with fleshy roots. Ginseng is believed to restore and enhance wellbeing.
It is one of the most popular herbal remedies.
it is believed to promote healthy circulation. Butcher’s broom helps to tone and tighten the blood vessels, a beneficial trait for individuals dealing with low blood pressure, as it allows the heart to pump blood through the veins more effectively. Butcher’s broom also offers anti-inflammatory properties that may reduce constricting of the blood vessels due to inflammation. This, combined with other active agents, may also help to reduce the risk of hardening of the arterial walls. Several antioxidants may be found in butcher’s broom tea, which protect the blood vessels from damage caused by free radicals. Early studies also suggest that butcher’s broom tea may even help to normalize an irregular heartbeat, though more research is needed in this area.
Butcher’s broom rhizome (Ruscus aculeatus)
Other Nutrients:
The European Journal of Heart Failure has published data from one of the most robust studies to date on coenzyme Q10.
This ten year study conclusively showed that CoQ10 supplementation significantly improves survival for even the most severe heart failure patients while radically reducing incidences of hospitalization.
If you’re worried about heart disease, eating one to two servings of fish a week could reduce your risk of dying of a heart attack.
Trace Minerals
HERBAL MEDICINE AND DRUG INTERACTIONS
Herbal medicines are frequently used in combination with conventional drugs, and interactions are likely to be more common than those that manifest clinically. Herb-drug interactions have been extensively reviewed in the literature (Hu et al. 2005; Izzo 2005; Izzo and Ernst 2009), and some of the common ones are mentioned in Sections 16.3.1, 16.3.2, 16.3.3, 16.3.5. Pharmacokinetic interactions mediated by drug-metabolizing enzymes or transporters are involved in many herb-drug interactions. Polymorphisms in the genes for these enzymes and transporters may influence the interactions mediated through these pathways (Tomlinson, Hu, and Lee 2008).
Herb–drug interactions are likely to be more serious with drugs having a narrow therapeutic index, such as warfarin or digoxin. Herbs can interact with warfarin in several different ways (Greenblatt and von Moltke 2005). The interaction with danshen is mentioned in Section 16.3.3 and probably occurs by inhibition of warfarin metabolism through CYP2C19. St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum; see also Chapter 11 on St. John’s wort) interacts with warfarin and a number of other drugs by inducing the expression of several CYP enzymes and the drug transporter P-glycoprotein (P-gp or ABCB1), resulting in decreased plasma concentrations of the drugs involved and lowered efficacy (Borrelli and Izzo 2009). Digoxin is a substrate for P-gp, and St. John’s wort can lower digoxin levels by increasing the activity of this transporter (Izzo 2004).
The finding that grapefruit juice substantially increased the plasma concentrations of felodipine by decreasing presystemic metabolism through selective post-translational downregulation of CYP3A4 expression in the intestinal wall identified another potential mechanism for drug interactions with natural products (Bailey et al. 1998). This is important with other dihydropyridine calcium-channel blockers and drugs that undergo substantial presystemic metabolism mediated by CYP3A4, including lovastatin and simvastatin in the cardiovascular field. This interaction seems to be most prominent with grapefruit juice and has not been described to date with herbal medicines. Grapefruit juice may also have a small effect on digoxin phamacokinetics, possibly through inhibition of the organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP) rather than P-gp (Bressler 2006).