Nutrition is an essential part of good heart health. While much focus is placed on dietary fat, antioxidants, vitamins and nutraceuticals can help improve cardiovascular health. Antioxidant cardioprotective. Atherosclerotic plaques are formed long before the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease was made. Antioxidant vitamins protect against plaque formation, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (August, 2002). Antioxidants can also help protect against high blood pressure.

In the American Heart Association Journal, Circulation (November 2002), the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids in the diet are discussed. Omega-3 fatty acids make the blood more likely to form clots that cause heart attacks and protect against irregular heartbeats that can cause sudden cardiac death.

In the journal, Cardiovascular Reviews and Reports, (volume 4, number 8, 8/18/03 Nutriceutical Agent Role in Cardiovascular Disease: An Update – Part I), a number of natural health strategies are discussed. Nitric oxide helps to relax and to protect the artery lining. Amino acids, arginine helps with the production of nitric oxide. This article makes note of a small study showed benefits of L-arginine supplementation, which increases coronary blood flow, lowered inflammatory chemicals, and improve symptoms of angina. It has even been shown to benefit patients suffering from congestive heart failure.

Taurine, another essential amino acid, is also mentioned in the article. Taurine is present in the myocardium, and the deficiency has been associated with cardiomyopathy. Cases of cardiomyopathy have been responded to taurine supplements, according to an article (Cardiovascular Reviews and Reports, (volume 4, number 8, 8/18/03 Nutriceutical Agent Role in Cardiovascular Disease:. Update A – Part I) Once again, small clinical studies seem to support the value taurine.

The article also cites studies supporting the use of Co Q-10. A five year study, involving 126 patients showed an improvement in congestive heart failure patients, without side effects. Another study showed that the pressure of Co Q-10 supplementation improved the blood, reducing left ventricular hypertrophy and improve exercise capacity in heart patients. One group of authors suggested that Co Q-10 supplements can help increase the number of patients awaiting a heart transplant can take heart donor.

Vitamin K anticoagulant activity (Thromb Haemost, 2005; 205 (93) :799-800). Vitamin K2 carboxylic matrix Gla protein, which is an inhibitor of the most powerful and abundant artery calcification (quoting Dr. Mark Houston’s presentation on the subject).
Benefits of Co Q10 and resveratrol can be found elsewhere in this newsletter. VasculoSirtTM contains CoQ10, vitamin K2, resveratrol, acetyl L-carnitine, R-alpha lipoic acid and vitamin B complex and is designed to improve blood flow.

Nutritional support and other aspects of natural health care can be very large values ​​even when traditional medical treatments should be utilized. Natural health care treats the patient not the disease. It is always a valuable approach, no matter what the disease process.