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A new report says several supplements might offer protection against some common risk factors for heart disease. They are not a substitute for a healthy lifestyle or proper medical care, but might be something to ask your doctor about if you've been told you have high blood pressure or cholesterol problem.
Local 12 Medical Reporter Liz Bonis shares details with this morning's Medical Edge.
If you are not a person who eats fish with the good fats, at least two or three days a week, you probably know that supplements, such as these omega three fatty acids, may be good for your heart.
A new report in Environmental Nutrition recently summarized several studies related to heart supplements. They found these omega three fats, which come from fatty fish, such as salmon, can reduce the likelihood of several heart related problems, such as blood clots, clogged arteries, irregular heartbeats and even high triglycerides, which are another fat component in the blood that raise heart attack risk. The American Heart Association recommends at least one gram a day of the good fats found in fish. So again, if you don't eat this type of fish at least a couple days a week, omega three supplements may be an alternative.
The other heart healthy supplements recommended in this report may also be worth asking your doctor about if you have heart disease risk in your family. They include co-enzyme q-10, which is a substance, much like a vitamin. Some heart medications appear to lower this substance in the body.
Niacin also makes this list. It's been shown to play a role in lowering bad cholesterol and raising good cholesterol. Make sure you use this under a doctor's care, because you can get what's called niacin flush, or red in the face, when you take it. Then there's red yeast rice, which is a yeast, grown and fermented on rice, which blocks an enzyme that controls the body's production of cholesterol.
Finally, vitamin d also makes this list. The sunshine vitamin, as it's commonly called, helps you absorb calcium, which may play a role in heart health. Many people who live where we do may be deficient and so, unless you get quite a bit of dairy, a supplement of 800 to 1000 international units a day may be recommended. As always, these aren't a substitute, but rather a compliment, for good heart care.
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