Key Supplements For Heart Health

One of the primary focuses for the month of February is cardiovascular health. Today I want to share with you key supplements for heart health.

Now you can do a Google search using the term supplements for heart health and you’ll find numerous articles.

For example WebMD recommends 6 different supplements.

And Better Nutrition recommends 9 different supplements.

And while the 6 from WebMD are good and the 9 supplements for heart health from Better Nutrition are good, there are 3 that are key.

Two of these 3 always make everyone’s list. One is seldom listed but equally important.

I’ve written about each of these in the past. For for this blog post I thought I’d pulled them all together for a quick review. If you would like more knowledge about each, I’ve linked them to my specific article about that supplement.

Here are my recommendations regarding supplements for heart health. I’ve listed them based on importance.

Supplements for Heart Health – CoQ10

CoQ10 is critical to the energy supply of the heart.

Within every cell are mitochondria. Mitochondria are the batteries or power generators. They convert the stored energy of the nutrients you consume into an energy form that your cells can use to perform their function.

CoQ10 is a critical component in the process of converting stored energy in your food into energy compounds your cells can use to do the work they are designed to do.

Without CoQ10 your cellular energy systems will fail and your cells will not function properly.

And here is why I place this supplement as they most important for hearth health.

As the pharmaceutical industry has observed, the use of statins (which interfere with CoQ10 production in the liver) leads to an increase in congestive heart failure.

This means anyone taking a statin drug needs to take a CoQ10 supplement.

Additionally, CoQ10 is also a powerful antioxidant to help protect your cells and cell membranes from harmful free radicals. This protects your cells from oxidative stress that causes inflammation, which then contributes to cellular dysfunction and most diseases.

Supplments for Heart Health – Omega 3s

Inflammation is the root cause of most cardiovascular health concerns.

Omega 3 oils like Coconut Oil, Avocados, Grass-fed Butter, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Fish rich in Omega-3s actually help to turn off inflammation.

Due to food choices, most Americans eat a diet that has a 20:1 ration of omega-6 to omega-3 fats, which creates an environments for chronic inflammation. This chronic inflammation then increases a person’s risk for all types of diseases.

Especially heart disease.

This increased risk was pointed out in research conducted at Harvard University were they showed that omega-3 fatty acid deficiency ranked as the sixth highest killer of Americans. Actually claiming approximately 96,000 people per year.

If you want to reverse this deficiency, then you need to consume a diet rich in omega-3 and significantly reduce your intake of omega-6 oils.

Supplements for Heart Health – Vitamin D3

As the body of scientific research continues to grow, the number of health benefits from vitamin D3 also grows. Here is a brief summary of some of these vitamin D3 benefits as it applies to your cardiovascular system:

Helps to Maintain Calcium Balance in the Bloodstream – Vitally important to cardiovascular health is the proper maintenance of your blood calcium levels. This helps to prevent calcification of the vascular wall, which leads to arteriosclerosis. Additionally, your endothelial cells, which line all of your cardiovascular system, need calcium to be able to convert the amino acid L-arginine into nitric oxide – the master signaling molecule of your entire cardiovascular system.

Helps in Blood Pressure Regulation – Recent studies have shown that vitamin D3 may decrease the risk for high blood pressure. This would make sense since proper blood calcium levels are needed to initiate the production of nitric oxide from L-arginine. Since nitric oxide is the body’s most powerful vasodilator, it is used to relax the vascular wall to help control blood pressure.

Additionally, vitamin D3 inhibits the enzyme renin, which is released by the kidneys. This enzyme acts to increase blood pressure. By inhibiting this enzyme, vitamin D3 helps to maintain normal blood pressures.

High blood pressure is the number one risk factor for strokes and heart attacks so this supplement is a good choice to help maintain a normal blood pressure.

That is my list of the key supplements for heart health. Certainly others can be added but these three are my recommendations.

Blessing Lives Through Nitric Oxide Therapy!

Dan