Supplements for strengthening and supporting the heart

Author: Mikhail Ziborov - author of the site makefitness.pro.

2022-12-01

When you walk into a pharmacy, you’ll find dozens, if not hundreds, of supplements and medications for heart health. There are so many vitamins that you can’t even count them: “Cardio Forte,” “Cardio Active,” “Vitrum Cardio,” and a whole bunch of various dietary supplements with the prefix “cardio.” But all these supplements are generally about the same thing.

Yes, one nutrient may be added somewhere, or another may simply be replaced with a better-sounding equivalent (like vitamins C and P replaced with rosehip, and voilà—you allegedly have a different vitamin complex). Since all these supplements are essentially about the same thing, I propose some cheaper analogs.

In my Telegram channel, we publish information that may be useful even in everyday life, not just during workouts. Just take a look.

Main Supplements for Improving Heart Function and Prevention

1. Coenzyme Q10. A vitamin-like substance that improves the body's performance and positively affects the cardiovascular system. I discussed it in detail in this article. To summarize:

- Normalizes blood pressure;

- Prevents atherosclerosis;

- Helps in cases of heart failure (study).

2. Omega-3 or Fish Oil. These are essentially synonyms, as fish oil contains Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA (but they can also be taken in pure form as a supplement). High levels of these fatty acids in your diet correlate directly with significantly lower risks of developing cardiovascular diseases (such as coronary heart disease and heart attacks).

As scientists say: "The cardioprotective effect of EPA and DHA is likely due to their favorable modulation of a number of known risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, such as blood lipids, blood pressure, heart rate variability, platelet aggregation, endothelial function, and inflammation." However, if you already have a high risk of developing diseases (or have them), Omega-3 can only help maintain your "engine," nothing more.

Additionally, fish oil can help thin the blood if it’s too thick. This makes it easier to pump through our muscle pump, i.e., makes its work easier.

3. Potassium and Magnesium. These two minerals directly affect heart health. The less of them you have, the worse it is. There are studies (1 and 2, and many more) showing that magnesium has antiarrhythmic properties and prevents the development of cardiovascular diseases, including strokes.

Potassium is equally important. For example, it normalizes blood pressure in cases of hypertension and prevents cardiovascular diseases (including strokes). In one study, the risk of stroke dropped by 24%. In another study, blood pressure decreased. Overall, potassium improves muscle performance (including the heart) as it is responsible for conducting nerve impulses to muscle cells.

This is why doctors combined these two micronutrients into one supplement—“Asparkam.”

4. Taurine. A sulfonic acid that you obtain from food, but in small amounts. Athletes use it to increase endurance, but in medicine, it is used for the prevention or improvement of heart function. In this study, scientists concluded: "A higher level of taurine (Tau/Cre) was associated with lower risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, including BMI, blood pressure, OC, obesity, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia."

Here’s another study confirming previous statements: people who consume more taurine have fewer cardiovascular problems and generally better health.

5. Vitamin C and Vitamin P. These are sold separately or together in stores and pharmacies. For example, under the name "Ascorutin." Vitamin P actually refers to over 4000 different substances collectively known as flavonoids or bioflavonoids. Rutin is one of them.

Their action is very straightforward: Vitamin C is responsible for collagen synthesis in the body, which is critical for everything (as it is a part of nearly all body tissues). Thus, the health of the vessels and heart muscle depends on adequate collagen production. In the presence of Vitamin P, ascorbic acid is absorbed much better. However,

scientists have also noted that due to the combined intake of these two micronutrients, the formation of small blood vessels in a person improves. This indicates that the supplement, though simple, is effective.

And yes, you can take collagen as a supplement rather than waiting for your body to create it from what you eat.

6. Hawthorn. The extract of this plant helps with mild heart failure. This is shown, for example, in this study.

The best sports supplements with proven effectiveness for weight loss/muscle gain can be found here.

Additional Supplements

Adaptogens. Due to stress, our bodies wear out over time. Adaptogens help you adapt more quickly to increased stress when it’s impossible to reduce it (such as living a life where slowing down isn’t an option). When you adapt to increased stress, it becomes the norm, and your body will no longer suffer. Did you know that there can be heart problems caused by a combination of various types of stress (physical, psycho-emotional)?

Various plant extracts such as ginseng, eleutherococcus, schizandra, and aralia fall under the category of adaptogenic dietary supplements. A special mention goes to rhodiola rosea: while other adaptogens may indirectly help you with heart issues (through their influence on stress), rhodiola does so directly.

Firstly, it raises low blood pressure, and secondly, it has cardioprotective properties (it protects the heart muscle).

It's important to note that excess weight, not to mention obesity, significantly increases the risk of developing heart and vascular diseases. Therefore, the primary objective for many should be not buying supplements to improve heart function but simplylosing weight. Once and for all. Check out photos of our friends who lost weight through the link.