Supplement Your Heart
Did You Know That —
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There’s A Nutrient That Lowers Cholesterol Better Than Statin Drugs — At 1/5 The Cost?
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There’s A Vitamin That Inhibits Hardening Of The Arteries?
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There’s A Mineral That Prevents And Treats Heart Disease?
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There’s A Trio Of Vitamins For Heart Health Approved By The FDA?
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The Sunshine Vitamin Supports Your Heart?
Protect Your Heart Naturally, Affordably, And Safely.
Look Inside And Find Out How….
Topic: HEART SUPPLEMENTS
Can you touch your toes? New research shows that a simple flexibility test may help predict your risk of heart disease and stroke.
A new study from the American Physiological Society shows that, among men and women over 40, the ability to touch one’s toes indicates how stiff the arteries are. Hardening of the arteries is a major cause of heart disease, and can raise blood pressure. – Parade Magazine’s HealthyStyle
Supplement Your Heart
Contrary to popular belief, all heart conditions are not alike.
In fact, for each type of heart problem, different factors are involved. Treatment plans need to be individualized. A complete cardiovascular assessment is important to provide the necessary information for deciding which natural products and treatments may be most useful for you.
Be that as it may, prevention generally requires the same basic approach:
1) eat a diet of wholesome, high fiber foods (fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, and whole grains), lean proteins, low fat dairy products, and healthy oils;
2) use an appropriate supplement program;
3) exercise regularly (stretching counts);
4) get enough rest and relaxation;
5) maintain a healthy weight for your sex and age. And, need we say it? Don’t smoke.
This issue of Nutrition News is a guide to help you create a supplement program for your heart. Our recommendations are based on the assumption that you already take a multivitamin-mineral formula. In determining the dosage you need of the heart supplements you choose, check against the ingredients in your multi-formula.
For your convenience, a check box precedes each nutrient. Because they have multiple and overlapping effects, the nutrients are arranged by type rather than by function.
Nutrition News has devoted complete issues to many of these supplements. An asterisk * marks such issues.
Supplement Your Heart: Vitamins
Vitamin C
Vitamin C*: Scurvy is the vitamin C deficiency disease. Matthias Rath, MD, theorizes that heart disease is an early symptom of scurvy. He has helped hundreds of patients by putting them on his drug-free, high vitamin C supplement program.
When there is insufficient vitamin C, the linings of the arteries become damaged. The body tries to repair them by laying down plaque made in part from oxidized cholesterol. The arteries become narrowed, resulting in atheroclerosis. As this happens, the heart receives decreasing amounts of oxygen and other nutrients. When we increase vitamin C, we improve arterial integrity and stop the narrowing cycle.
Further, Vitamin C’s antioxidant property helps the heart by improving cholesterol profiles. It protects LDL cholesterol from oxidation, even in smokers. This function lowers total cholesterol and raises HDL “good” cholesterol. Vitamin C also reduces triglycerides (fat in the blood).
Two more benefits are 1) keeping blood cells from clumping together and forming clots, which can initiate a heart attack, and 2) reviving oxidized vitamin E. Take 500-1000 mg of vitamin C 3x/d.1
Vitamin B Complex
Vitamin B complex*: The B vitamins serve as co-enzymes that facilitate the work of every cell, including the release of energy from food.
B3 (niacin)
B3 (niacin): This B vitamin was all the rage a number of years ago when its cholesterol-lowering capacity was discovered. Cheap and safe, niacin remains one of the best agents known for lowering cholesterol. Originally, the big drawback was that the amounts of niacin needed to lower cholesterol levels caused uncomfortable flushing.
Now a non-flushing form is available. Called inositol hexaniacinate (IHN), this safe form of niacin has been shown to exceed the drug lovastatin in its ability to increase HDL levels without that drug’s unfortunate side effects. (See CoQ10 and red yeast rice.) This nutrient also lowers fibrinogen levels. Fibrinogen is a blood protein involved in clotting. Elevated levels are risky. Recommended dose is 500-1000 mg 3x/d.
Panethine
Pantethine: This is the active form of pantothenic acid (B5). It is a key component of coenzyme A. CoA initiates the body’s energy process, helping turn dietary fats into energy.2 Taking supplemental pantethine can significantly reduce triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL. At the same time, it raises HDL. These results are possible with 300 mg taken 3x/d.
A trio of B vitamins ensures safe homocysteine levels. Elevated homocysteine is a recognized marker for heart disease. High levels damage artery linings and weaken the integrity of the blood vessels, giving us another reason for taking lots of vitamin C.
High levels of homocysteine result when not enough folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 are present in the body to neutralize it. A heart health claim for the B vitamin trio is allowed by the FDA.
Folic acid 400 mcg – 2.5 mg
Vitamin B6 10-50 mg
Vitamin B12 100-1000 mcg
Some homocysteine management formulas contain TMG (trimethylglycine), also called betaine. TMG not only reduces homocysteine levels, it also supports the liver. In addition, some evidence suggests that it is converted into SAMe, the natural antidepressant. Depression can be another heart disease marker.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D*: A number of years ago, Nutrition News delivered groundbreaking information about the importance of vitamin D, and the insufficiency of the current RDA of 400 IU. Since it is not actually a vitamin but a hormone, it is not surprising that scientists are gradually discovering its involvement in every aspect of our health.
Recently, Kendrick, et al., reported a strong relationship between low levels of vitamin D and a heightened risk of heart disease. Their cross-sectional study involved more than 16,000 men and women. (Atherosclerosis, 11/08) Current wisdom is to take 1000 IU of vitamin D per day. Amounts over 12,000 IUs are considered toxic.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E*: There are 1000s of papers supporting the conclusion that vitamin E lessens heart attack risk. In the landmark Harvard study involving 130,000 doctors and nurses, those with the highest vitamin E intake had 40 percent fewer heart attacks.
Like C, vitamin E helps protect LDL (“bad cholesterol”) from oxidation. This lessens the build-up of arterial plaque. When volunteers were given 800 IUs of E daily, LDL oxidation was reduced by half in only 12 weeks.
People involved with diabetes and/or with dialysis are 5-20 times more at risk for death from circulatory disorders. A study in Lancet showed a 70 percent reduction in heart disease among these patients when they took 800 IU of vitamin E daily.
Buy complete vitamin E, containing tocopherols and tocotrienols. These factors occur with vitamin E in nature. Recommended dosage is 400-1200 IU daily. (The full spectrum may contain 600+ IU of vitamin E as mixed tocopherols and 10-60 mg of tocotrienols.)
Vitamin K2
Vitamin K2*: A major contributing factor to heart disease is impairment of the blood vessels. The development of atherosclerosis by layers of plaque has been emphasized throughout this newsletter. However, the main constituent of plaque isn’t cholesterol but calcium.
Vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) is the blood clotting form of the vitamin.Vitamin K2 is a different factor of the Vitamin K complex, called menaquinone. This form of vitamin K directs the body’s use of calcium. In short, without sufficient amounts of K2, calcium ends up in the arteries rather than in the bones. K2 activates a protein that inhibits calcification of the blood vessels.
In The Rotterdam Study (2004), nearly 5000 women and men 55 and older took K2 for two years. The follow-up showed that the supplement reduced the risk of both arterial calcification and cardiovascular mortality by as much as 50 percent! The participants took 45 mcg of K2 per day.
Supplement Your Heart: Vitamins
Footnote
1 Rath advises 500 mg each of the amino acids proline and lysine daily. He writes that these aminos keep plaque from building on the artery walls and help eradicate what is already there.
2 In the last few years, a stabilized form of CoA has come onto health food store shelves. Deficiency symptoms include heart instability and muscle weakness. (The heart is a muscle.)
Supplement Your Heart:
Minerals
Magnesium
Magnesium*: In Prescription Alternatives, Mindell and Hopkins write that magnesium is “the biggest key to prevention and treatment of heart disease”. Magnesium
1) prevents muscle spasms, and can reduce angina pain;
2) helps keep the blood from getting “sticky”;
3) promotes healthy cholesterol ratios;
4) maintains normal blood pressure (people with HBP show magnesium levels 15 percent below normal); and
5) keeps the heartbeat regular. Recommendations range from 200-1200 mg taken in divided doses.
Calcium
Calcium*: This mineral works along with magnesium, helping with nerve conduction and muscle contraction. Because many foods are calcium enriched, nutritional experts are divided on the amount of supplemental calcium one needs. Compute how much you are eating, then make your decision for supplementation. Supplement recommendations range from 150-1500 mg.
Chromium
Chromium*: There is nearly 40 years of evidence that sufficient chromium may help reduce the risk of heart disease. Besides balancing cholesterol profiles, chromium keeps insulin working efficiently. Without chromium, high blood insulin causes increased fat storage, high bad cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and overweight. These are all heart disease risk factors. Just 200 mcg of chromium daily can raise your good cholesterol by 11 percent.
Selenium
Selenium: In 1976, it was found that Americans living in selenium-deficient soil were three times more likely to die from heart disease than those living in selenium-rich areas. In the body, selenium is intimately related to the production and function of antioxidant enzymes, particularly glutathione. Daily intake should not exceed 200 mcg.
Postassium
Potassium: Although this mineral is commonly associated with heart health, supplements are needed only when HBP is involved.
Other Heart Nutrients
CoQ10
CoQ10*: Biopsies of heart tissue show that 50 to 75 percent of cardiac patients are deficient in CoQ10. CoQ is critical fuel for the cells. By providing this fuel, the pumping action of the heart is strengthened.
This benefits persons with weak heart muscles, with angina (chest pain from inadequate blood supplies to the heart), congestive heart failure (heart doesn’t pump enough blood), mitral valve prolapse (MVP, the most common heart valve problem), and cardiomyopathy (any disease of the heart muscle that causes a reduction in the force of the heartbeat).
Cholesterol-lowering drugs (statin drugs, e.g., lovastatin) work by inhibiting the same enzyme that is necessary to the production of CoQ10. So, while cholesterol is being artificially lowered, the heart is being robbed of the CoQ energy that it needs to function. People on statins are advised to take 100 mg of CoQ10 daily.
CoQ10 dose depends on the heart condition involved. Although 25-150 mg daily is the common dose, Stephen Sinatra, MD, cardiologist, suggests that people over 30 take 30-90 mg. Those with MVP (mitral valve prolapse) take 90-180 mg with 400 mg of magnesium. Those with high blood pressure, take 180-240 mg in divided doses. For congestive heart failure, take 240-440 mg also in divided doses. Heart function deteriorates when supplementation is stopped.
The previous dosages are based on regular CoQ10. Recently, a new form was loosed on the market. Called ubiquinol, this novel compound is absorbed up to eight times better and remains in the body longer than the commonly used CoQ, ubiquinone. Further, it has demonstrated unprecedented anti-aging effects compared to the older form.
Carnitine
Carnitine*: Heart biopsies have revealed that the highest levels of carnitine are found in the heart muscle cells of healthy hearts. Further, the weaker the heart function, the lower the carnitine levels. Carnitine’s main role is transporting energy in the form of fatty acids into the cells. It also removes wasted fuel, improving cellular energy output. Recommendations range from 150 mg to 900 mg in divided doses.
Red Yeast Rice
Red yeast rice: This is a fermented rice product on which red yeast has been grown. It has been used in China for some 1200 years. There, both human and animal studies have shown that it can lower cholesterol levels.
These results were confirmed in the US by studies conducted at UCLA and at Tufts. The 79 participants in the UCLA study showed a 15 percent reduction of cholesterol in 12 weeks, taking 2.4 grams of red yeast rice per day. This product yields results equal to lovastatin without the side effects – and at about one-fifth the price.
Supplement Your Heart: Essential Fatty Acids
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids*: The important fatty acids here are EPA, DHA, and GLA. The superior sources of EPA and DHA are deep water fish, wild game, grass-raised ruminants (e.g. cattle and bison), and microalgae. Vegetarians may prefer taking flax, chia, hemp, or perilla seed. However, only about ten percent of the essential oil in these seeds is converted to EPA.
Because of the importance of DHA to both brain and eye development and to health throughout life, fish oil supplements should be given to infants and children.
One debate centers around whether to declare DHA to be an essential fatty acid. Another is the current petition to the US Institute of Medicine for the establishment of a DRI (Dietary Reference Intake) for EPA or DHA.
We recommend an omega-3 supplement in the form of pharmaceutical grade fish oils. Take 3-6 grams daily. (Take a tablespoon of the seed oils.)
Omega 6 Fatty Acid GLA
Omega-6 fatty acid GLA*: GLA (gamma-linolenic acid) occurs naturally in human milk. Other sources are evening primrose, borage, and black currant seeds. Many people don’t make the conversion from linoleic acid (an essential fatty acid found in seed oils such as soy, cotton, and sunflower) to the GLA form. Without this conversion, the fatty acids of these oils become harmful to the body.
GLAs are consistently recommended for heart health. GLA taken as a supplement is converted to a substance called DGLA that fights inflammation. Take up to 1 gram daily of GLA as borage, evening primrose or black currant seed oil capsules.
Inflammation is a fundamental source of heart disease risk, and much of the blood testing done today centers around measuring inflammation in the body. We highly recommend reading Nutrition News, “On Fire!”.
Supplement Your Heart: Herbs
Hawthorn
Hawthorn: Crataegus oxyacantha is best known for its ability to strengthen the heart’s contraction. It has been shown to improve the blood supply to all parts of the heart and to the extremities (called the peripheral vascular system).
This is because hawthorn is a vasodilator. When the blood vessels enlarge, they can carry more oxygen and other nutrients throughout the body. This property also accounts for hawthorn’s ability to increase the tolerance of the heart to low levels of oxygen and to improve exercise tolerance.
With age the heart can lose its ability to pump effectively. This is called congestive heart failure. Using 600 milligrams of hawthorn daily, patients in the early stages of this disease have experienced significant improvement in blood pressure, shortness of breath, and ability to cycle. The usual dose is 120 mg 3x/d of standardized extract.
Sea Buckthorn
Sea Buckthorn: Hippophae ramnoides has been used in Asia for more than 1000 years. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (the Gold Standard), involving 233 healthy people, the use of sea buckthorn berries resulted in a significant lowering of C-reactive protein (CRP). Along with homocysteine and fibrinogen, CRP is a marker of inflammation and, therefore, of heart disease risk.
In addition, a 2007 animal study showed that sea buckthorn oil is effective in lowering LDL cholesterol while happily raising HDL. This botanical is available in juice, caps, oil, and other forms. Follow the instructions on the label.
Other Heart Helpful Herbs
Other herbs for the heart include bilberry, grape seed, pine bark, and the citrus bioflavonoids: rutin, hesperidin, and quercetin. Resveratrol (the secret of the “French Paradox”) is in this group, as are green and black teas.
Tea
Green tea is currently receiving lots of attention. Although the dried herb is available in capsules, its pleasant taste when brewed and caffeine content makes it a viable candidate for coffee substitution.
Yet another choice, black tea has been shown to lower heart attack risk by as much as 44 percent.
According to researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, black tea contains large amounts of bioflavonoids which make blood cells less prone to clotting. Adding milk, sugar, or lemon doesn’t interfere with the effect.
