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Give Your Heart the Fuel it Needs!

Supercharge your heart with these must-have compounds and stay vibrant and healthy

Have you ever been driving somewhere and ran out of gas? If you have, it probably was not one of your better days.  Still, you put more gas in the car and you were on your way.

Now imagine your heart running out of gas, so to speak.

Certainly, your heart works hard enough.  Each day the average heart beats 100,000 times and pumps about 2,000 gallons of blood throughout your body.  In a 70-year lifetime, it’s estimated your heart will beat 2.5 billion times!

There is no shortage of advice for protecting your heart. And there’s no doubt you have heard it all before. Items like:

• Watching your blood pressure and cholesterol levels
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Eating a healthy diet
• Staying active
• Finding ways to cope with stress
• Finally, not smoking

Yet it seems that not everyone is willing to take such advice to protect their heart. Coronary heart disease and stroke are among the top three life-and-death emergencies in the United States.

You can limit the stress on the heart by following the previous advice, but you can also provide your heart with must-have nutrients that it requires to operate efficiently. In other words, give your heart the gas it needs.

Here is a quick overview of these must-have nutrients that give your heart the energy and support it needs to keep you alive and healthy.

Coenzyme Q-10

Coenzyme Q-10, commonly called CoQ10, is a vitamin-like compound. It exists in every cell of your body and you could not survive without it. CoQ10 is essential in the body’s production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which produces energy within the cells and is the basis for normal functioning of all body systems and organs.

If you think of the cell as a little engine that uses oxygen to burn the fuels that come from food, you may think of CoQ10 as the spark plug in the engine that ignites the process. No other substance will substitute for CoQ10. Without it there is no spark and therefore no production of energy for the cell. And without energy there is no life!

CoQ10 helps sustain your heart’s “lifetime warranty” which guarantees that it beats about 100,000 times a day, or 36 million times a year.  CoQ10 does this by converting food into energy and by supporting healthy blood flow throughout your cardiovascular system. And since the heart has the highest concentration of CoQ10 of any organ in the body, it’s very sensitive to low levels of CoQ10. So sensitive that some experts believe the heart would stop beating if deficiency levels reached 75%.1

People with failing cardiac systems respond to CoQ10 supplementation with increased strength and vigor

Studies have shown that CoQ10 supplementation helps improve:

• Angina—a condition where inadequate oxygen is available to the heart muscle itself.
• Atherosclerosis—offering protection against the accumulation and deposit of oxidized fats in blood vessels.2
• Heart failure (cardiomyopathy)—In the early 1980s, Karl Folkers, Ph.D., one of the researchers who pioneered CoQ10, conducted the first study of CoQ10 in the treatment of cardiomyopathy, a form of progressive heart failure. Patients who were expected to die from heart failure rebounded with an "extraordinary clinical improvement," according to Folkers.3

Also:

• Sixty-five cardiologists treating 806 patients for heart failure or ischemic heart disease indicated "significant" benefits from CoQ10.4
• A 12-month double-blind study compared 319 patients taking CoQ10 with 322 taking a placebo. CoQ10 reduced complications of heart failure as well as the need for hospitalization.5
• In clinical trials, CoQ10 has been found to reduce high blood pressure significantly.6

B sure to take your Bs—vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid

These three important B vitamins lower homocysteine levels and protect your heart!

An independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease is excess levels of homocysteine, not cholesterol. Contrary to popular belief, cholesterol does not cause heart disease. It is merely one of the many markers of the disease. In fact, it’s quite possible to have a heart attack even if you have “normal” cholesterol levels.

But, according to research, there’s a definite possibility you’ll have a heart attack if you have high levels of homocysteine. What is it? Homocysteine is an amino acid derivative that’s naturally found in your body. Too much of it can generate free radicals that increase injury to arterial walls, accelerate oxidation and the buildup of cholesterol in blood vessels, and set the stage for arterial and venous diseases, including stroke.7

The good news is that scientists have discovered vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid can dramatically lower homocysteine levels!

In 1969, Kilmer S. McCully, M.D., of Harvard Medical School found that heart patients had nearly 80 percent less vitamin B6 than healthy individuals. As a result of his work, he postulated that B6 might help protect the arteries from the damage that precedes heart disease.8 In addition, a deficiency of vitamin B12 is associated with elevated homocysteine levels and folic acid is essential for the proper metabolism of homocysteine.9,10 It is estimated that by supplementing with only 400 mcg of folic acid daily the number of heart attacks suffered by Americans each year would be reduced by 10%. It is also estimated that individuals with low vitamin B6 levels have a five times greater risk of having a heart attack than individuals with higher B6 levels!

Betaine is another nutrient that works together with the three B vitamins to decrease homocysteine levels. Dietary sources of betaine include beets, broccoli, and spinach, but often people do not get enough betaine in their diet so supplementation is required.

Notoginseng, emblica, salvia, and astragalus are four ancient traditional nutraceuticals with proven beneficial results

Notoginseng has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for centuries to combat cardiovascular ailments. Modern science has shown that Notoginseng can:

• Increase blood circulation in the heart and brain while lowering elevated blood pressure11
• Prevent arrhythmias due to lack of oxygen to the heart12
• Reduce cell damage after heart attack, protect nerve and brain cells from the damage of stroke13
• Lower the incidence of angina and heart pain due to its blood vessel dilating and antioxidant effects14
• Prevent atherosclerosis and inhibit progression of atherosclerotic lesions15 16

Emblica, also known by its Indian name Amla, is made from the ripe fruit of the Indian gooseberry tree, which is regarded as an important and sacred tree of India. The fruit has been used for thousands of years by Ayurvedic physicians who refer to it as the “sustainer” and “the fruit where the goddess of prosperity resides.”

Although emblica is reputed to have the highest content of vitamin C of any natural plant and is revered for its rejuvenating powers, most of the current scientific interest has centered on the unique tannins and flavonoids contained in the plant. Emblica is reputed to:

• Prevent cardiovascular damage through its powerful cholesterol regulating and multi-faceted antioxidant properties
• Reduce cholesterol and LDL (bad cholesterol) levels, and improve glucose tolerance and blood sugar regulation. This is especially important because both high blood cholesterol and high blood sugar are risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease

Salvia miltiorrhiza, also know as Danshen in Traditional Chinese Medicine, contains a variety of unique phytochemicals with antioxidant and cardio protective properties, and has been widely used in Chinese medicine for several cardiovascular disorders.

In fact, according to one report, salvia has “revolutionized the management of angina, heart attack, and stroke in Chinese society.”17

The majority of research on salvia miltiorrhiza has been on its heart protective properties, especially in cases of angina, heart attack, and stroke. Experimental studies have shown that salvia miltiorrhiza:

• Dilates coronary arteries, increases coronary blood flow, and scavenges free radicals, so that it reduces the cellular damage and improves heart functions18
• Contains potent antioxidants that prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol19
• Protects the hearts of patients with cardiovascular disease from damage during surgery20
• Is more effective than nitroglycerin for improving heart function and circulation21

Astragalus, one of the primary herbs used in Chinese medicine for cardiovascular problems, has a lot of research to back it up. Astragalus has been shown to effectively:

• Prevent heart failure22 23
• Relieve anginal pain and prevent heart attack24
• Regulate high blood pressure25
• Strengthen the beating and force of contraction of the heart muscle, while also increasing the level of energy production within heart cells26

Red wine polyphenols have been protecting the hearts of moderate wine drinkers, whether they know it or not.  Red wine’s complex mixture of plant-derived chemicals (phytochemicals), which includes flavonoids and polyphenols, have many health benefits. These components have been shown to:

• Reduce mortality from cardiovascular disease27
• Reduce elevated blood pressure and dilate the blood vessels28
• Inhibit the development of atherosclerosis29
• Inhibit the oxidation of LDL cholesterol30
• Increase levels of good cholesterol while improving cholesterol metabolism31

Keep your heart pumping efficiently

Taurine is a nonessential amino acid, which means it is manufactured from other amino acids in the body; it does not have to be obtained directly through the diet. It is necessary for the management of potassium levels in the heart, and in other tissues, and helps maintain a regular heart beat by helping the heart muscle contract properly. This has an effect on the overall health of the cardiovascular system, because if the heart pumps more blood in than out, dangerous congestion can build up in the heart’s chambers. Taurine has been shown to:

• Help keep the balance of blood flow in and out of the heart
• Play a role in the metabolism of calcium, which may affect entry of calcium into heart muscle cells where it is essential in the generation and transmission of nerve impulses32
• Inhibit the drop in potassium levels inside heart cells, which can cause electrical instability and arrhythmias33
• Reduce the occurrence of heart attack and lower elevated blood pressure34

Tone your heart with natural nutrients

Hawthorn has been used as a heart tonic for centuries. Old-time herbalists often used hawthorn to treat heart ailments, but they probably had no idea what a treasure they had in this hedgerow plant. Hawthorn is probably one of the best heart tonics in the plant kingdom and recent research indicates it:

• Improves blood flow, oxygen and nutrients to the heart by dilating blood vessels35
• Appears to improve the metabolism of the heart, thereby increasing strength and promoting regular contractions of the heart36
• Helps regulate blood pressure37
• Can be useful in the recovery period after a heart attack by strengthening the heart muscle, and improving blood flow and oxygen to the heart38 39

So there you have it!  The who’s who and what’s what in regard to heart healthy nutrients. Are you giving your heart the fuel it needs to keep it revving?  It is possible to prevent heart disease and stroke by supercharging your heart with the right nutrients and a few lifestyle changes. It’s easier than you think, so start today!

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