What Are The Best Heart Health Supplements?
“While there are many great supplements that can benefit heart health, none of them are a magic pill against heart disease,” says Gina Sirchio-Lotus, doctor of chiropractic, certified clinical nutritionist, functional medicine physician, and owner of the LG Institute of Health in Chicago, Ill. “Supplements are best used as part of an overall heart health plan that includes a healthy diet, regular exercise and good sleep habits.”
There are seven nutrients that can be a good addition to a heart-healthy lifestyle:
Omega-3 fatty acids Magnesium Inositol Folate Grape seed extract Coenzyme CoQ10 Vitamin D.
Fiber And Sterols For Your Heart
Try to get at least 25 to 30 grams of it every day. It can also raise the “good” kind, HDL.
If you take a fiber supplement, increase the amount you take slowly. This can help prevent gas and cramping. It’s also important to drink enough liquids when you increase your fiber intake.
Find these in foods like nuts and grains, or you can buy them as supplements. They’re also added to many foods, such as some margarines, orange juice, and yogurts.
Covid-19 Updates
“We found no evidence of benefits to cardiovascular disease,” Miller says.
“Supplements were ineffective and unnecessary.” One possible exception is omega-3 or fish oil capsules. This type of fatty acid, found in fish and marine algae, helps the heart. Vitamins and supplements can be unsafe.
While research has turned up no clear benefit to supplements, consuming too much of certain vitamins can be harmful. Investigations have shown that too often pills said to contain medicinal herbs are actually full of fillers like powdered rice or even dangerous substances. “Supplement production is not regulated by the FDA nor does the industry need to prove health benefits, so they can use vague language like ‘good for heart health’—but they can’t say ‘will lower blood pressure,’ ” Miller say.
1. Omega-3 Fatty Acids
According to the authors of the 2019 review, there’s now “compelling evidence” supporting the use of omega-3 fatty acids. The first of the reviewed studies dealt with omega-3 fatty acid esters (O3AEE). O3aee is a prescription version of omega-3 fatty acids.
People in the study were using 1 gram per day of O3AEE, which provides 840 milligrams (mg) of EPA and DHA. In the second trial, cardiovascular disease death was reduced by 19 percent. Finally, in the third trial, there was a 24 percent decrease in major cardiovascular events.
People in this study had high triglyceride levels and were also taking a statin drug. They were taking a dose of 4 grams per day of EPA. Nevertheless, before you ramp up the amount of fish in your diet, Dr. Ragavendra Baliga, a cardiologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, cautions that mercury contamination can sometimes be an issue in both OTC fish oil preparations and fresh fish.
However, prescription fish oil doesn’t have this issue.