Heart Health Prevention & Nutritional Supplements

What nature offers us to prevent heart disease in the new era of Nutritional Supplements.

Introduction

According to the WHO (World Health Organization), heart disease is the most important cause of death worldwide, causing even more deaths than all the types of cancer. Cardiovascular disease is developed for several causes including factors that we cannot alter, like our gender, family history, age or ethnicity. Man have higher risk of cardiac disease than women, aging increases the chances of cardiac problems, and certain populations are more prone to heart disease than others. On the other hand, there is other group of risk factors that are modiable, this means that we can control them, this include diet, the type and amount of exercise that we do, stress management, our smoking and drinking habits.

Some risk factors are also chronicle health conditions than can lead with time to severe damage of the cardiovascular system and diminish the life expectancy and quality include Diabetes, Hypertension, Obesity and abnormal blood lipid levels that is high Cholesterol, high levels of triglycerides, low levels of HDL (high-density lipoprotein) and high levels of LDL (Low-density lipoprotein).

All this causes when untreated and existing for a long time can cause progressive damage to the blood vessels walls, leading to inammation that occurs at a cellular level and injures the endothelium (inner layer of blood vessels). These alterations can impact in coagulation, immune function, platelet adhesion, calcication of the arteries leading to the development of heart disease.

Ancient medicine

There are natural options that can help reverse or prevent the damage to the cardiovascular system caused by these degenerative processes. Many foods and plants have been used to treat heart disease in history. In China the regular drinking of green tea, In India, the consumption of garlic, cayenne and other species prevented the development of heart disease, In Africa the plant known as "Buchu" had been known as a diuretic and anti-inammatory, The Native Americans used red clover to improve circulation and wild garlic to prevent heart disease, in Europe the use of mushrooms containing natural chemicals to lower cholesterol.

Nutraceuticals

In the modern era of scientific research, scientist have gone back to the natural food ingredients after the associations found in population-based studies that linked a decrease in the risk of death linked to heart disease with the consumption of certain foods, including herbs, fruits and some beverages. After this ndings the term Nutraceuticals was chosen to design these foods. According to Ramaa et al. "Nutraceuticals are medicinal foods that play a role in maintaining well being, enhancing health, modulating immunity and thereby preventing as well as treating specic diseases." Among them and based on recent literature, the ones with the more promising eects to treat or prevent heart diseases are described below.

Co-enzyme Q-10

What it is?

Co-enzyme Q10 is a vitamin-like substance that is produced by the human body and is necessary for the healthy cell function. It is present in higher concentrations in the heart, liver, and kidneys. The levels of this substance is lower in older people and in persons with chronic diseases.

Why it is important?

Co-enzyme Q10 is one of the nutraceuticals that has showed a wide range of positive outcomes regarding heart health and also in the treatment of other dierent conditions. According to the literature, this substance has a positive impact in the reduction of the mortality due to worsening of heart failure.

Coenzyme Q-10 has been the aim of many scientific studies due to its potential to ameliorate the prognosis of heart disease through different paths:

The reduction of the cholesterol levels by the inhibition of the oxidation of the LDL (Low density lipoprotein), the conservation of the cellular health of the heart tissue, and the reduction of free radical production inside the body. Furthermore, by some researchers it has been considered a substance that stabilizes the metabolism of the heart and helps maintain adequate energy stores.

What does it improves?

In the treatment of Hypertension it has showed reduction of the blood pressure with minimal or no side effects. Co-enzyme Q-10 had showed amelioration of hypertension when used as an adjunct therapy, and in the future it may have a role as a single treatment for high blood pressure.

In the treatment of Heart Failure, Co-Q10 has helped to improve the symptoms, and has been used as a maintenance therapy. In persons with high blood cholesterol, the Co-enzyme has been used as a lowering agent and had positive effects in the reduction of the side eects of Statins (the traditional pharmacological treatment for high cholesterol levels), and to restore Co-enzyme Q-10 blood levels that decreases with this drug. In patients with Coronary Artery Disease, Co-Q10 increased the antioxidant activity and reduced chronicle inammation.

When used combined with Vitamin E, Co-Q10 is believed to increase its antioxidant power. The combination shows anti-atherogenic properties, this means that this combination of substances have increased capacity to prevent the adhesion of cholesterol to your blood vessels, than when taken separated, this causes a reduction of the arteries hardening (Atherosclerosis) and with that, decreases the chances of heart disease.

Biogenique' Co-Enzyme Q-10 formula is made with high purity standards and with innovative technologies. It contains vitamin E, oering an enhanced antioxidant activity. To summarize, Biogenique Co-enzyme Q10 is recommended as a support therapy for individuals with high cholesterol levels, hypertension, and coronary artery disease. It may also oer a positive outcome for those undergoing cardiac surgery and recovering from heart attack. Thus, promotes the health of the arteries.

Another nutrient that has recently gain scientic recognition for its powerful anti-disease properties are tocotrienols. This group of substances belong to the same compound family of the Vitamin E but have an increased antioxidant power and other benecial health outcomes that Vitamin E does not share with them. Unfortunately, this compounds are not very abundant in food, they might not be in high content in your diet despite all the vegetables and grains variations that you might do. On the other hand, it is possible to take them in the form of supplements to have health benefits.

Tocotrienols have been used as a support therapy due to the evidence found in clinical trials for the prevention of brain damage, anti- stroke activity, prevention of certain types of cancers and as a cholesterol lowering agent. Tocotrienols have a strong capacity lo lower cholesterol levels and in some studies it has showed to be stronger than the regular treatment drugs. Tocotrienol has a strong antioxidant power that protect the heart and anti-inammatory eects that avoids adhesion of cells to the veins interior layer, preventing future heart disease.

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Omega 3

What it is?

Omega 3 is a family of three fatty acids called ALA, EPA and DHA. These fats are needed for the body to maintain a normal metabolism and health .

Why it is important?

Scientifics have found that sh consumption is inversely associated with reduced development of coronary heart disease; this means that the people that consumed more fish in their diets is less prone to have heart disease.

The natural sources of Omega-3 include some plants and fish, quoting … et al. "Supplements of Omega 3 are useful in avoiding the contamination of the natural Omega 3 sources from the pollution of the seas (mercury, organochloride) and to help achieve the daily doses (1g/day)". What does it improves?
Omega 3 have many health benets like trygliceride lower effects, decrease in platelet aggregation, improved endothelial function, and potential antiarrhythmic and hypotensive effects. In summary this is a good supplement for people with elevated triglycerides in blood, in risk of formation of blood clots, and hypertensive patients without medicines. Supplementation with Omega-3 has better effects in people with less pharmacological treatment history and during prevention.

In summary this is a good supplement for people with elevated triglycerides in blood, in risk of formation of blood clots, and hypertensive patients without medicines. Supplementation with Omega-3 has better eects in people with less pharmacological treatment history and during prevention

Anti-calcication

Biogenique Vitamin D

Calcium supplements can be harmful for the heart when inammation and oxidation processes are turned on inside the body, as in the progression of heart disease. In this case Vitamin D supplements become necessary to promote the absorption of Calcium by the bones, where they are needed, and to avoid the formation of Calcium plaques in the interior of the arteries.

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Other Nutraceuticals

Resveratrol

Is a substance (polyphenol) found in some fruits and plants, especially in Japanese Knotweed, in red grapes and as a consequence in red wine.

Resveratrol exerts protective eects for the cardiovascular system that includes the increased nitric oxide production (a molecule that protects the blood vessels), an anti-inammatory activity, avoids the obstruction of the arteries and the formation of platelet clogs.

Even some of the studies on Resveratrol eects have been too short to know the long term eects of this therapy, the results are promising.

Niacin

Niacin or also known as Vitamin B-3, is the substance with a most powerful eect to rise HDL cholesterol levels (good cholesterol). Niacin by elevating HDL, decreases the risk of cardiovascular events. In diabetic patients, Vitamin B-3 increases and restores the protective properties of the HDL. In the future, Niacin may be used as an alternative to statin therapy.

Summary

art disease are a complex group of events and alterations that aect the cardiovascular system. Many things aect the health stability including your diet, physical exercise and other lifestyle aspects. This information is for you to discuss with your doctor about the options of treatment for you and to introduce the advantages and great health potential of the Nutraceuticals in the prevention and treatment of heart disease.

References:

All Products Health Catergories Responsibilty Research Nutra Gap Quiz™ Purity Challlenge Resource Santé

• WHO. NCD mortality and morbidity. http://www.who.int/gho/ncd/mortality_morbidity/en/index.html

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• World Heart Federation. Different heart diseases : http://www.world-heart-federation.org/cardiovascular-health/heart-disease/dierent-heart-diseases/

• American Heart Association. What is Heart Disease?

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• Zuchi C, Ambrosio G, Lüscher T, Landmesser U. Nutraceuticals in Cardiovascular Prevention: Lessons from Studies on Endothelial Function. Cardiovasc Ther. 2010; 28(4): 187-201.

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