Keeping your heart healthy is standard medical advice because it remains the singular best measure of overall health to date (1).
There are several known adages that remind us of this importance and all notable superfoods tout some element of cardiac benefit (2,3).
Heart health as a pursuit is nothing new, nor is it something to take for granted.
Your Heart Deserves Some Extra Love...
The heart beats about 2.5 billion times over an average lifetime, pushing blood, oxygen, and nutrients to every organ in need (4).
It’s astonishing to consider the heart’s unceasing responsibility and the stress levels we expect it to sustain. Diet, lifestyle, and genetic factors play a major role in how well the heart performs as we age.
The most troublesome chronic conditions are either a form of heart disease or contribute to heart disease if unmanaged (4).
Overall, health has a direct effect on the heart and is the reason that heart disease remains the leading cause of mortality around the world (5).
The ways that we’ve been told to approach heart health in the past mostly hinges on diet and exercise, healthy fats, and lowering cholesterol (6).
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An Updated Approach
While the crux of this advice is still solid, new research findings have assembled a list of the absolute best nutrients, some new and some familiar, to offer the heart its most abundant benefit yet.
Whether your cardiovascular goal is to support healthy blood pressure, minimize risk factors for heart disease, or increase athletic performance, supplementing these nutrients offers the most potent, heart-smart advantage to date!
Vitamin D3
Well known as a trusted source for heart health benefits, Vitamin D3 is recommended out of an abundance of clinical research and long-term data tracking.
A diverse set of studies has now confirmed that Vitamin D plays a myriad of roles in disease prevention, treatment, and recovery.
Way beyond the need for ensuring calcium production and bone strength, tests that measure Vitamin D within the body also function as strong predictors and warnings of heart health conditions likely to arise (7).
Patients with low levels of Vitamin D are at increased risk of developing inflammatory diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease (8).
Increasing available Vitamin D lowers the risk of complications that can range from artery blockages and high cholesterol to worsening incidents like stroke and heart attack (9).
Managing heart health with Vitamin D stems from its ability to heal the lining of damaged blood vessels and reduce systemic inflammation.
When blood vessels heal, they regain their elasticity which opens a wider passage for blood, oxygen, and nutrients to freely flow, all of which relieves undue stress placed on the heart (10).
Garlic + Olive Leaf Extract
Garlic and Olive Leaf are traditional components of both Mediterranean cuisine and regional folk medicine.
Historically used to quell inflammation caused by serious infections, these strong antioxidant compounds have impressive benefits that treat immediate symptoms, as well as contribute to long-term wellness (11).
The strong sulfur compounds in garlic are essentially chemical protectors from free radical damage throughout the body. Their potent effects heal inflammation found in the digestive tract and within blood vessels (12).
This also makes garlic and olive leaf particularly helpful during cold and flu season, as digestive health is directly related to immune response (13).
Garlic’s main heart-health superpower is aiding the production of Nitric Oxide, a gas molecule made within the lining of blood vessels that widens veins to reduce blood pressure (14).
Normal blood pressure is the key to reducing cardiovascular disease risk and clearing potential blockages from arteries (15). Combined, garlic and olive leaf have copious heart health benefits.
Also, doing heavy lifting beyond its antioxidant content, olive leaf is known to increase insulin production and help keep blood sugar balanced. Diabetics are a population at increased risk for inflammation that leads to heart disease and regulating glucose levels with natural insulin support avoids such complications (16).
Hawthorn Berry + Turmeric
The Hawthorn berry is an herbal Chinese remedy that has been used for centuries to treat digestive issues, heart failure, and hypertension. Its antioxidant polyphenols are some of the strongest anti-inflammatory compounds found in nature.
Studies testing Hawthorn Berry showed that regular use can drastically lower high blood pressure, particularly in Type II Diabetics. This is an equal part effect of anti-inflammatory and vasodilating properties that reduce cellular damage, lower blood pressure, and clear out LDL cholesterol (17).
When taken alongside modern medications, thousands of participants saw positive results including improved heart function, more available energy, and increased endurance (18).
Turmeric is a standalone spice for flavor and health properties alike; many are as familiar with its storied superfood claims as much as its rich pigment. For these reasons, turmeric is one of the most studied and credible natural remedies.
Modern science tells us that its active compound Curcumin is a premier fighter of inflammation and rivals fast-acting medications.
We think of inflammation as a marker of disease or infection, but inflammation in itself wreaks havoc on the body, causing pain and damage wherever its presence is prolonged (19).
This is why the very best turmeric supplements that tame inflammation include black pepper and better yet, a more concentrated form of black pepper known as BioPerine.
This high-potency combination increases the absorption rate of turmeric by 2,000% and amplifies its total vascular, digestive, and reparative benefits (20).
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Organic Beet Root Powder + Pomegranate
There’s a theory that certain foods are shaped for the organ they benefit: walnuts and the brain, kidney beans, and the liver, and now these two--beets, pomegranates, and the heart (21).
Red pigmented fruits and vegetables get their color from flavonoid compounds called anthocyanins. They are some of the strongest free-radical fighting antioxidants and directly benefit the cardiovascular system.
As we know of other antioxidant-laden foods and spices, antioxidants keep the cellular walls of blood vessels healthy and elastic, regulating blood flow normally, allowing free exchange of oxygen and nutrients (22).
Organic Beet Root and pomegranate are attracting well-deserved notoriety for their specific heart-protective properties as well. Beets are high in dietary nitrates and pomegranates enhance the function of its eventual variation, nitric oxide (23). Nitrates become nitric oxide for the sole purpose of controlling blood pressure (24).
As we age, the body produces less natural Nitric Oxide and is therefore thought to be a major hindrance for those with worsening blood pressure (25).
An increase in dietary nitrates and in turn, Nitric Oxide creates effects felt within a few short hours and over a period of weeks and can contribute to significantly lower blood pressure numbers altogether (26).
Better Function, Higher Performance
Heart health nutrients do a lot more than regulate blood pressure and eliminate inflammation, enhanced blood flow delivers an adaptogenic edge for athletes and abundant stamina. Because vasodilation allows more oxygen and nutrients to reach muscles faster, it also quickly rids waste like lactic acid to eliminate soreness (27).
Exhaustion is an all-too-common barrier to reaching fitness targets and performing at a higher level. Targeted nutrients offer the inspired runner, lifter, or weekend warrior an exciting new path to dominating their goals.
There is never a better time to focus on your heart health than the present and when it comes to choosing preventative measures, these nutrients top the list.
Supplements are more targeted, potent, and effective than ever before and can meet the needs of those striving for perfection or progress towards a healthy baseline.
What matters most is starting where you’re at and taking the time to incorporate the most critical nutrients that a cardiovascular system needs to thrive.
