Diet and supplements for a healthy and strong heart

The older I get, the more I look for things that will not only support my efforts in the gym, but more importantly, boost my health. Cardiovascular disease is a global cause of death, but a mixture of the right foods and some supplements can reduce risk factors. Of course, we can't forget about exercise and an overall balanced and healthy diet.

With heart disease being the leading cause of death for men and women worldwide, heart health supplements are becoming big business and marketing ploys for various companies. So we'll take a look at an analysis of five things that have real evidence of their benefits.

If you already have a heart problem, always remember to consult your doctor before including any supplements, as some supplements have drug interactions.

Article Content:

• Nitrates
• Garlic
• Vitamin K2
• Berberine
• Taurine

Nitrates

Nitrates are one of the reasons why vegetables are so good for us. They are found abundantly in beetroot and leafy vegetables (arugula, spinach, lettuce, courgettes, cabbage, kale etc). They are a reliable and effective way to increase nitric oxide synthesis in the body. Increased NO levels are associated with better circulation and lower blood pressure.

Consuming vegetables containing good amounts of nitrate reduces the risk of hypertension and may improve the function of endothelial cells (the cells that line the inside of our blood vessels). As an added bonus, increasing your overall vegetable intake can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and premature death.

I'd better mention one thing to avoid confusion. Although you may find nitrates in processed meat products, it's not quite the same as getting them through vegetables. It is believed that various compounds in meat react with nitrates during cooking and processing to form potentially pro-carcinogenic elements such as nitrosamines.

Garlic

Although garlic can also increase NO in the body, its blood pressure-lowering effects are primarily due to hydrogen sulfide. Whether you add garlic to your diet or use it in supplement form, it is an effective and fairly inexpensive way to increase hydrogen sulfide in the body, which relaxes blood vessels and lowers blood pressure.

For patients with elevated cholesterol (> 200 mg/dL, > 5.5 mmol/L) who regularly consume garlic for two months or longer, we can slightly lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and slightly raise HDL (good cholesterol). Since garlic can improve several cardiovascular parameters, it is a good supplement for heart health.

Vitamin K2

A healthy artery is flexible. In arterial calcification, calcium adheres to the artery wall and increases stiffness. Arterial stiffness and flexibility are very reliable biomarkers of cardiovascular disease mortality. Vitamin K2, found in egg yolks and some fermented foods, is one of the few dietary supplements that can reduce calcification and stiffness.

Vitamin K can be roughly divided into three groups: K1, K2 and K3. K1 plays a large role in blood clotting, while K2 is responsible for calcium regulation. K3 is a synthetic provitamin that is not used because it can harm your health.

While most of us can get adequate amounts of K1 from green leafy vegetables, supplementing vitamin K2 in the form of supplements may be necessary to get some of its cardiovascular benefits. In addition, vitamin K2 also provides benefits for bone health, where it is highly recommended to supplement along with vitamin D and calcium.

Berberine

Insulin resistance can worsen cardiovascular health over time, as chronically elevated blood sugars can cause tissue damage and raise blood pressure. Berberine is an activator of AMPK (activated protein kinase), which means it helps pump both glucose and lipids into the cell (regulating glucose and lipid metabolism), allowing them to be used as energy.

By reducing blood sugar, Berberine is comparable to the diabetes drug Metformin and is very effective for lowering blood glucose levels, which can be beneficial for people with impaired glucose regulation. When combined with lifestyle interventions, berberine can significantly improve glucose levels (HbA1c) and help reduce high cholesterol in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Taurine

Taurine (L-taurine) is a conditionally essential amino acid that is found in the body, especially in the tissues of the heart, where it helps maintain a regular heartbeat. Under healthy conditions, our body can produce taurine from the amino acids methionine and cysteine and from vitamin B6.

In patients with heart failure, short-term taurine supplementation (2 weeks) resulted in improved cardiovascular function during exercise. Studies also suggest that taurine may have some beneficial effects on blood pressure in patients with prehypertension or hypertension.

Conclusion

Adding garlic, leafy green vegetables and beets to your diet is an easy first step to protecting your heart, and that's where you should start. On the other hand, remember that this is only a supplement to good nutrition and not a replacement for it. Also, make sure you are getting quality sleep and getting enough exercise, which is another important thing for your heart health. I know, it doesn't sound sexy and it's not the magic pill some are looking for, but the evidence speaks clearly to the benefit of the things mentioned.

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