Healthy tips for heart health
The heart is a perpetual motion machine and the hardest working organ in your body. It's constantly moving oxygen and nutrition to every organ, system and cell. Believe it or not, your heart beats 100,000 times a day. That's 3.5 million times a year, or 2.5 billion times during an average lifetime.
According to –certified internist Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, bestselling author of Real Cause, Real Cure (Rodale Books), “If your hardworking heart isn't working right, it’s impossible to feel your best. But several key nutrients can do your heart a world of good.”
To optimize heart health, Dr. Teitelbaum recommends the following seven super-targeted nutrients.
1. Ribose
D-Ribose is a unique nutrient that looks and tastes like sugar, and is key to energy production throughout the body, including the heart. It works best in powdered form. You’ll be amazed at your level of energy, and the improvement in overall heart function after just six weeks of taking a single scoop of ribose once daily!
2. Coenzyme Q10
CoQ10 is also critical for whole-body energy production. Take 200 to 400 mg/day — starting with 400 mg/day for 6 weeks and then 200 mg/day. Daily CoQ10 is especially important for anyone on cholesterol-lowering medications that deplete this vitally important heart-healthy nutrient (and actually putting your cardiovascular health at greater risk).
3. Magnesium
Magnesium increases the strength of your heart muscle and helps keep heart rhythms (the electrical activity of the heart) steady and smooth. Magnesium deficiency is prevalent in the Western world because of food processing, with over half the magnesium in the diet being lost. Dr. Teitelbaum recommends 200 mg/day and even up to 400 mg, if it doesn’t cause diarrhea.
4. B vitamins
Many studies show that people with congestive heart failure are deficient in B vitamins and that supplementing with B vitamins, especially B6 and folate, improves this condition. B vitamins may also help slow the progression of heart disease in its early stages by reducing homocysteine in the blood, an amino acid linked to damage of the cells that line the artery walls, which may be a precursor to blood clots and stroke.
5. Zinc
Research shows that a low level of this antioxidant in the blood increases the risk of heart attack. In another study of 40 people ages 56 – 83, taking zinc daily decreased four biomarkers of heart disease and inflammation such as C-reactive protein. Other research shows that zinc supplements reduced risk factors in people with diabetes, a disease that doubles the risk of heart attack or stroke. Recommended dose – 15 mg daily. Optimal levels of the B vitamins, magnesium, and zinc can be found in a good high potency multivitamin, such as the Energy Revitalization System vitamin powder.
6. Omega-3 Fatty Acids from Fish
The American Heart Association recognizes Omega-3 fatty acids as a help for heart health. Their recommendation: 1 gram (1,000 mg) daily of a mixture of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). There are several ways you can get that amount:
- 1 tablespoon of fish oil, four times a week.
- 1 serving of fatty fish, such as salmon or tuna, four times a week. Super-tip: Canned white albacore tuna has three times the amount of fish oil as chunk of light tuna. But skip the fast-food fried fish sandwich. Research shows these worsen omega-3 deficiency!
- A daily fish oil or Omega-3 supplement. Dr. Teitelbaum recommends using a form called Vectomega, as one small tablet a day replaces eight large fish oil capsules.
7. Hawthorn
In a recent analysis of 14 rigorous studies involving more than 1,000 people, an extract of the herb Hawthorn was found to be effective at improving the strength of the heart muscle and blood flow to the heart.
All of these super-targeted heart-friendly nutrients can be taken in combination for six weeks to start feeling the benefits; then the dosing can be lowered to a maintenance regimen. Dr. Teitelbaum recommends continuing with the Energy Revitalization System vitamin powder, Vectomega, ribose and CoQ10 at the levels mentioned above to feel good 24/7. This is what Dr. T takes daily. For more information, visit vitality101.com and also download Dr. Teitelbaum’s comprehensive health app “Cures A-Z” on your smartphone.