According to the Centers for Disease Control, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. However, we know that heart disease is largely preventable. You can significantly improve your cardiovascular health by exercising regularly, adopting a healthy diet, and taking the right supplements.
Medication is Not Always the Answer
Many Americans who are prescribed medications to treat heart disease discontinue their medications due to the unpleasant side effects. In many cases, these medications are not long-term solutions but rather short-term fixes to help you lower your blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides quickly. While they may work for some, the side effects can be discouraging for others. However, cardiovascular disease is a dangerous ticking time bomb, so maintaining healthy cholesterol, triglyceride, and blood pressure levels is imperative when it comes to preventing a heart attack or stroke. Since medications are not suitable for everyone, adopting a healthy diet and exercising regularly are effective ways to improve cardiovascular health and decrease your risk of a heart attack or stroke. Adding a heart health supplement to your diet is a great way to ensure you’re consuming adequate amounts of specific nutrients that can improve your cardiovascular health.
Exercise
Adopting a new exercise routine can seem overwhelming, especially if it's been a while since you've engaged in moderate to high-intensity physical activity. However, studies show that exercise is critical for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health. When you exercise, you strengthen the heart muscle and improve circulation, so the heart becomes more efficient at circulating blood throughout the body and doesn't need to work as hard. Exercise is beneficial for reducing stress, lowering cholesterol, and lowering blood pressure.
Incorporating at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, along with 2-3 days of resistance training, is ideal. If you can safely work in some short, high-intensity activities, that's even better. However, if you haven't exercised in a long time, it's best to consult with your doctor and start slowly with low-intensity exercises, such as walking. Many people gravitate toward low impact exercises, such as brisk walking, swimming, water aerobics, and cycling. An activity that has gained a lot of momentum in recent years is pickleball, but it may not be suitable for everyone since it can be high impact and tough on the joints. If you love the idea of pickleball, but suffer from joint pain, you may want to add a joint health supplement to your daily routine. I recommend Joint Health & Mobility, as it contains a blend of potent extracts and lubricating nutrients, including curcumin, Omega-3, collagen precursors, chondroitin, glucosamine, and hyaluronic acid.
Diet
The best way to consume heart-healthy vitamins and minerals is through a healthy diet consisting of whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, low-fat or no-fat dairy, and healthy oils and fats. Your diet should be low in sodium, saturated fats, and trans fats but high in soluble fiber, insoluble fiber, and nutritionally dense foods that are minimally processed. Check out the Low Cholesterol Book for Beginners and the DASH Diet for ways to lower your cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure. Along with avoiding foods high in saturated fats, trans fats, sodium, and sugar, you should also avoid beverages with large amounts of added sugar. While water is always a great go-to option, certain drinks, such as those with a lot of sterols and stanols, are beneficial for heart health. Some examples include green tea, black tea, and pomegranate juice. For more information on drinks that can help you lower your cholesterol, check out, Which Drinks Can Help Lower Cholesterol?
Supplements
While consuming essential vitamins and minerals through food is the preferred way to support a healthy heart, a multivitamin can help you improve your cardiovascular health. I recommend choosing one that’s highly absorbable, such as Healthycell's Bioactive Multi. Not only can a multivitamin improve overall health by filling in dietary gaps, but some of the specific vitamins and minerals in multivitamins have been shown to improve cardiovascular health as well. I like Healthycell's multivitamins because the MICROGEL™ formula offers optimal absorption. In fact, the results of a double-blind, randomized, peer-reviewed crossover study published in Sage Journal comparing the absorption of Healthycell's MICROGEL™ technology to a standard tablet showed that Healthycell's MICROGEL™ resulted in:
- 165% more absorption
- 144% higher maximum nutrient level
What About a Heart Health Supplement?
In addition to a multivitamin, you may want to consider taking a supplement specifically designed to promote cardiovascular health, such as Healthycell's Heart & Vascular Health. There are specific ingredients you should look for in a heart health supplement that have been shown to promote a healthy cardiovascular system.
Below is a list of ingredients you should look for in a heart health supplement. You can easily find these ingredients sold separately. However, if taking a lot of pills does not appeal to you, you may want to consider an all-in-one option instead.
- Omega-3 fatty acids: Omega-3 fatty acids improve cardiovascular health by improving circulation, lowering blood pressure, and reducing inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acid supplements are most commonly available in the form of fish oil or krill oil gel capsules. However, these supplements often have a fishy aftertaste, which can make taking them very unpleasant. If you can't stomach the fishy aftertaste, you may want to consider a plant-based source such as flaxseed oil or Ahiflower®. Flaxseed oil contains alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), and Ahiflower® contains both alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and stearidonic acid (SDA), which belong to the omega-3 family of fatty acids. ALA is an essential fatty acid because the body cannot produce it on its own. Once in the body, ALA and SDA convert into other omega-3 fatty acids. Two of these fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) can reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels. If you prefer a plant-based source of omega-3, Heart and Vascular Health contains Ahiflower®.
- Coenzyme Q10: Coenzyme Q10 is an antioxidant that plays a role in cellular metabolism and can help protect the heart from damage. Coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10, is a naturally occurring compound in the human body, but it's also found in some foods we eat. Studies have shown that CoQ10 can lower triglyceride levels by reducing the activity of a liver enzyme that helps facilitate triglyceride formation. CoQ10 can also raise levels of good cholesterol (HDL) in the blood and reduce bad cholesterol (LDL), which is responsible for plaque buildup in the arteries. A variety of foods contain CoQ10, including fatty fish such as salmon, nuts, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and some meats. However, consuming significant amounts through diet alone can be challenging, especially since cooking can reduce the amount of CoQ10 in food. For this reason, many people choose to take a CoQ10 supplement regularly. You can find CoQ10 in capsule, tablet, or soft gel form. However, only Healthycell's Heart & Vascular Health supplement contains CoQ10 in a pill-free MICROGEL™ .
- Magnesium: Magnesium is an essential electrolyte that helps regulate heart rhythm, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. This essential mineral lowers blood pressure by relaxing the blood vessels and improving vascular function. It also reduces inflammation and facilitates the transport of sodium and potassium across cell membranes, both of which are important electrolytes that help promote a healthy heart rhythm. Low magnesium has been associated with cardiovascular disease, including atherosclerosis and high blood pressure. You can buy magnesium separately, or consume it with an all-in-one heart health supplement.
- Folate: Folate improves cardiovascular health by breaking down homocysteine which has been known to damage the inner walls of arteries and is a risk factor for heart disease. Folate is naturally occurring and is found in foods such as nuts, beans, dark leafy vegetables, meats, and some fruits. A synthetic, or man-made, version of folate known as folic acid is added to foods and some vitamin supplements. Folate and folic acid are beneficial for heart health because they decrease the likelihood of developing a stroke, and research suggests that they may even help lower blood pressure. Most supplements contain folic acid, but some contain folate, since it can be easily extracted from natural sources and is more readily available in the body.
- Soluble Fiber: Soluble fiber decreases the absorption of LDL (“the bad”) cholesterol by binding to LDL particles and fat in the digestive system and removing it from the body before it gets absorbed into your bloodstream. Along with lowering LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, clinical studies indicate that regular intake of soluble fiber lowers blood pressure, decreases inflammation, and prevents sudden spikes in glucose since it moves very slowly through the digestive system. You should aim to get most of your soluble fiber from foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains such as oatmeal. However, adding a fiber supplement may also be beneficial. Check out How Long It Takes To Lower Cholesterol for tips on the most effective strategies for lowering cholesterol. As a prebiotic, soluble fiber also promotes a healthy microbiome by feeding the beneficial bacteria (probiotics) in the gut. Most soluble fiber should come from the foods you eat, but taking a supplement can help you meet your needs if you’re trying to lower your cholesterol and blood pressure.
- Potassium: When you have too much sodium and not enough potassium, your body retains fluid to maintain the balance. The problem is that your blood vessels hold onto excess water when your body retains fluid, causing an increase in blood pressure. Potassium helps remove sodium from the blood and eases pressure on the walls of your blood vessels. This important electrolyte helps the heart maintain a healthy rhythm and may even prevent the hardening of the arteries. Maintaining the right balance of potassium and sodium in the body is crucial so your kidneys can effectively remove excess fluid from the blood vessels. However, the modern American diet is very high in sodium, so adding a potassium supplement can be very helpful in improving cardiovascular health. Some foods that are high in potassium include potatoes, tomatoes, bananas, avocados, and spinach. If you’re trying to increase your potassium intake to lower your blood pressure, you may want to consider looking into the DASH diet. This diet incorporates foods that are high in fiber, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, which have been shown to lower blood pressure. For more tips on ways to lower your blood pressure, check out, 8 Ways to Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally.
- Vitamin K2: Vitamin K2 helps maintain cardiovascular health by directing calcium to the bones, where it's needed, and away from the arteries, where it can contribute to atherosclerosis and increase the risk of heart disease. While the bacteria in our guts actually produce vitamin K2, much of it comes from our food sources. Some fermented foods and specific animal products, such as certain cheeses, chicken liver, red meat, butter, and egg yolks, are considered good sources of vitamin K2. The problem is that many of these foods contain a high amount of saturated fat, so they should be limited. For this reason, many people choose to take a heart health supplement with vitamin K2 to reap the benefits of vitamin K2 without consuming foods that are detrimental to their heart health.
- Resveratrol: Resveratrol is an antioxidant-like compound that is found in plant sources. This unique compound can be found in foods such as grapes, blueberries, and blackberries. Most people associate resveratrol with red wine because some of the highest concentrations of resveratrol are found in the skins of grapes, which are included in the process of making red wine. Resveratrol has been shown to lower LDL (the "bad") cholesterol while increasing HDL (the "good") cholesterol. High levels of HDL are associated with good cardiovascular health, while high levels of LDL are associated with poor cardiovascular health and an increased risk of heart attack or stroke. In addition to lowering cholesterol, resveratrol has been shown to lower blood pressure. Since it's found in very specific foods, and you need to consume a lot to reap the benefits, finding a supplement with resveratrol in it is ideal.
- Grape Seed Extract: Grape seed extract is often overlooked, but its benefits are plentiful. This potent antioxidant has been shown to decrease blood pressure, increase vascular health, regulate heart rate, reduce free radicals by inhibiting oxidative stress, and decrease levels of an inflammatory marker called C-reactive protein, which is correlated with the risk of heart attack or stroke. Grape seed extract can be found in many heart health supplements, or as a stand alone supplement.
In Summary
Ideally, your primary source of nutrients should come from a healthy, balanced diet that's low in saturated fat, trans fats, sodium, and sugar. You should try to consume a diet rich in whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and low-fat or no-fat dairy. However, most people are unable to consume significant enough amounts of these ingredients solely from food. This is why adding a heart health supplement can be very beneficial. While each of the above supplements can be taken separately, I prefer to take one heart health supplement to cover all my bases. This is why I recommend Healthycell's Heart & Vascular Health. It's an all-in-one product with superior absorption that's easy to take.
About the Author
Dr. Giampapa is a world-renowned medical doctor, inventor, and surgeon specializing in anti-aging medicine. He recently received a nomination for the Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking stem cell research, as well as the Edison Award for the Healthycell nutritional supplement for cell health. He was also awarded the A4M Science & Technology award for his development of the BioMarker Matrix Profile – the first computer program to measure aging.
