Q: What is the most important nutrient for heart and vascular health?
One of the most important nutrients for heart and vascular health is coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). Its role in the heart is similar to the role of a spark plug in a car engine. Just as the car cannot function without that initial spark, the heart cannot function without CoQ10. Although the body can make CoQ10, considerable research shows significant benefits with supplementation in various health issues, especially those affecting the heart as well as diabetes. It is also critical that people taking cholesterol-lowering drugs (e.g., statins like Lipitor and Crestor) take supplemental CoQ10.
Results from a new double-blind study show another interesting effect on vascular health that highlights the importance of CoQ10 in protecting against cardiovascular disease, especially in people with type 2 diabetes.
French OPC Grape Seed also.
Q: Is there any natural product that helps reduce Cholesterol?
Sytrinol -a special extract of citrus peel standardized to contain greater than 30% polymethoxylated flavones. Sytrinol works by blocking the enzymes in the liver responsible for manufacturing cholesterol and triglyceride production. Clinical results have shown that Sytrinol exerts effects very similar to statin drugs, but without side effects. Specifically, it has been shown to lower total cholesterol levels up to 30%, LDL cholesterol levels up to 27% and triglyceride levels up to 34% within four to twelve weeks of use.
Niacin (vitamin B3) is the most well-researched natural cholesterol lowering agent. In fact, several studies have shown niacin to produce better overall results than cholesterol-lowering drugs. Niacin typically lowers total cholesterol by 18%, LDL by 23% and triglycerides by 20% while raising HDL levels by 31%. Niacin is available as a prescription agent, yet despite its advantages, niacin accounts for only 7.9 percent of all prescriptions to lower cholesterol.
Q: What can people do to increase blood vessel elasticity and strengthen the Arteries?
Artery Strong is a product that combines vitamins A, D3 and K2. This combination works synergistally to increase the flexability and elasticity of the blood vessels as well as strengthening the Arterial wall.
Mesoglycan – is a great source of Glycosaminoglycans which are building blocks for blood vessels. Mesoglycans support blood vessel strength, integrity and flexibility. Strengthens veins and arteries and supports healthy blood vessels in the heart, eyes, legs and brain.
Q: Are there natural products that can help with High Blood Pressure?
Bonito peptides are proteins derived from the muscle of the bonito fish work to inhibit the enzyme that increases fluid volume and the constriction of the blood vessels. These anti-ACE peptides relax the arterial walls and reduce fluid volume. The bonito peptides exert the strongest inhibition of ACE reported for any natural product. Pept-Ace by Natural Factors.
Hibiscus, berberines, garlic and Olive Leaf can all be beneficial for blood pressure. Europharma – Blood Pressure Health.
Q: Is it possible to strengthen the heart muscle?
It’s probably no coincidence that the earliest records declared the Hawthorn tree a symbol of love. Crataegus species are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemispheres of Europe and North America. All of the cultures that traditionally used Hawthorn leaves and berries medicinally — including Native American, Chinese and European — employed it as a tonic for the heart.* In fact, its use as a cardiac tonic dates as far back as first-century Rome.*
Significant scientific evidence confirms Hawthorn’s traditional use. It has been the subject of hundreds of research studies, including nine double-blind, placebo-controlled human clinical trials. The results of this research show that Hawthorn strengthens the heart muscle, increases exercise tolerance, and supports a normal heart rhythm
Q: Do some prescription drugs increase our risk for Heart Disease?
Yes, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is strengthening an existing label warning that non-aspirin nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increase the risk of having heart attack or stroke. NSAIDs including aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin and Advil), Aleve (naproxen sodium), Celebrex (celecoxib), Feldene (piroxicam), and Voltaren (diclofenac sodium) are used extensively in the United States.
There are over 7,500 deaths each year in the United States are directly attributable to NSAID use.
- A large number of studies support the finding that NSAIDs cause an increased risk of serious cardiovascular events. Estimates of increased risk ranged from 10 to 50 percent or more, depending on the drugs and the doses studied.
- Patients treated with NSAIDs following a first heart attack were more likely to die in the first year after the heart attack compared to patients who were not treated with NSAIDs after their first heart attack.
- There is also an increased risk of heart failure with NSAID use.
Acid-Blocking Drugs Increase Heart Disease Risk
Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) are a group of drugs whose main action is blocking the secretion of gastric acid. They are dominant medical treatment of peptic ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and indigestion. Popular examples include Nexium, Prilosec, Protonix, Prevacid, and Aciphex. Use of these powerful antacids is associated with an increased risk for osteoporosis, heart arrhythmias, intestinal infections, bacterial pneumonia, and multiple nutrient deficiencies. A new study from Stanford University adds another issue with these drugs – they double the risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke.
