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Supplements for a Healthy Heart

Do Supplements Really Help Your Heart?

-- By Becky Hand, Licensed and Registered Dietitian
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So you just found out that you have high cholesterol, or perhaps you have a strong family history of heart disease and want to do your best to prevent it. So you head to the pharmacy or health food store for help, only to be bombarded by countless supplements that tout their heart healthy benefits. Which should you choose? Are they all good for your heart? Are supplements necessary to improve your health and reduce your risk of heart disease?

Before you buy into the billion-dollar business of dietary supplements, remember a few key things.
  1. Dietary supplements are not regulated by the FDA in the same way as medications are regulated. Manufacturers have a lot of leeway in their ability to make health claims on their bottles—much more than most health professionals would like—and these claims can be very misleading. Some claims are not even true or are not based on good scientific research. Never trust what a bottle or advertisement tells you about a product. After all, the goal of both is to get you to buy it. Do your own investigation first.
     
  2. Dietary supplements are NOT a must for a healthy heart. Many people can reduce their risk of heart disease and improve their heart health by making simple lifestyle changes like eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and following the heart-health plan provided by their health care provider. Supplements alone cannot and will not undo an unhealthy (poor quality) diet or inactive lifestyle. If you do prefer to take supplements, think of them as an added insurance plan to the heart-healthy changes you're already making.
     
  3. Supplements can interact with other medications. Even something as seemingly benign as a vitamin or mineral supplement can cause adverse reactions when combined with certain over-the-counter and prescription drugs, so ALWAYS keep a list of all supplements you take and share it with your pharmacist and health care provider.
     
  4. Talk to your doctor first. Before taking any supplement, get advice and recommendations from your health care provider.
Here's a list of common supplements (listed in alphabetical order) that make heart health claims. Read on to find out which may help, and which supplements you should leave on the shelf according to evidence-based research. Continued ›
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About The Author

Becky Hand Becky Hand
Becky is a registered and licensed dietitian with almost 20 years of experience. Through her company, An Ounce of Prevention, she makes nutrition principles practical, easy to apply and fun. See all of Becky's articles.

Member Comments

  • This article has all of the hallmark of what is contemporary and alive in the current research and vitamin sales literature. This is helpful for all of us overwhelmed by concern for our health and the maintenance of good health. - 1/4/2013 3:59:14 PM
  • One can tell by reading the comments here that people will believe what they want to believe.
    I do take a vitamin, calcium and a couple others and my doctors are aware of everything I take. I always heard that if we eat a healthy diet, we are headed in the right direction! - 12/9/2012 7:42:18 PM
  • MSHERER1622
    As someone with metabolic syndrome, I'm particularly interested in L-Arginine, Quercetin and Rutin. L-Arginine is an amino acid that stimulates NO uptake, lowers blood pressure, improves circulation. Quercetin and Rutin are antioxidants/flav
    inols that are cardioprotective and reduce inflammation. Lots of articles on them in PubMed, so there's clearly interest from the medical research community. - 12/9/2012 5:02:36 PM
  • STANKORANCH
    Re: new research. Research from Penn State published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition last year about this time. The study used rigorously designed research--A randomized Controlled Clinical Intervention Trial- to investigate the effects of cholesterol-lower
    ing diets; The Healthy American Diet, The Dash Diet, The Bold Diet and the Bold Plus Diet. The main difference between the Dash Diet and the Bold and Bold Plus diets is the source of protein; Dash uses white meat and plant protein sources while the Bold and Bold Plus diet use lean beef as the main source of protein. Both the Bold Diet and teh Bold Plus Diets allow for slighly more % of protein; Dash 18 %, Bold 19 % and Bold Plus 27%. Bottom line: The Bold and Bold Plus diets were just as effective as the Dash Diet in reducint LDL over a 5 week period. The key is to use one of the 29 lean cuts of beef which range in fat content between a boneless skinless chicken breast and boneless skinless chicken thigh. Just a 3 oz serving of lean beef provides less that 10% of your daily calories while providing more than 10% of 10 essential nutrients. excellent source of protein, zinc, vitamin b 12, vitamin b 6, niacin and selenium and good source of phosphorous, choline, iron and riboflavin. - 12/9/2012 11:53:35 AM
  • I'm a lap band patient so I definitely have to take supplements, but I keep them to a minimum. I take chewable or liquid multivitamins, fiber, calcium, and small fish oil and vitamin D (those 2 on doctors orders). - 12/9/2012 9:16:01 AM
  • LINDAC107
    I try to stay up with current nutritional studies (not that I am an expert by any means) and thought that the article was very useful as a starting point for the general audience. That said, we much recognize that each of us is unique, with individual differences and needs. Therefore, for example, although it may be generally advisable for most people to avoid supplementing with selenium, if one has a deficiency, then supplementation might be advisable. I am over 65 years old and am very careful to eat a well balanced diet. However, I have, for the past 5 years, had several vitamin deficiencies and do supplement as needed. My physician checks every 3-6 months and we adjust accordingly. - 12/9/2012 9:08:37 AM
  • INNERPEACE4LIFE
    I am a master herbalist as well as a nurse. What is really sad and frightening is the power given to doctors to prescribe chemicals that are deadly. You would never voice the same questions or opinons to your doctor. - 12/9/2012 7:45:11 AM
  • DANCINGFLOWER46
    I have been on the verge of taking vitamins for a long time and now I have a better understanding of them and how they affect the human body. I will read the othe articles also. Thank You. - 12/9/2012 7:00:06 AM
  • Sorry I will go to a manufacturer I trust. If FDA says it okay, I ran the other way & if ghey say is bad, I embrace. They are the ones who approve poisons like aspartame because someone talked them into approving - someone with a vested interest. You've heard the saying "I'm from the government! I'm here to help you!" RUN PEOPLE RUN! - 11/20/2012 7:11:32 PM
  • Becky Hand is consistently providing out-dated and big pharma friendly information. She needs to go back to school for a Holistic Registered Nutritionist degree before she writes any more articles. - 11/20/2012 10:19:37 AM
  • CERYDER99
    Unless you grow you own foods to insure they are a) free of pesticide/herbici
    de/growth hormone/antibioti
    c residues, and b) fully ripe when you pick and consume them, your diet is not healthy. Additionally, as you age your digestive system becomes less and less efficient at extracting the nutrients from the foods you eat. Supplementation at older ages helps to boost critical nutrient levels in your bloodstream which helps all your systems fight off diseases such as colds and flu. You will find many supplement sources of varying qualities and costs. Do your own research and make your own decisions according to your own needs and budget. No supplement can fully replace proper foods, nor can foods alone provide all the nutrition you need, especially if you are on a low-calorie diet. - 11/20/2012 8:12:30 AM
  • Sorry, but too much mis-information in the content of this article. Typical FDA garbage coming from a mainstream dietician. No disrespect intended, as I'm sure that she totally believes what she read in school. Don't believe everything you read, folks! Everyone needs to investigate all resources regarding their health. We're not all the same! - 11/20/2012 3:46:28 AM
  • Thanks for this. Supplements are an industry just like 'pharma', just without all that bothersome regulation. I stay well away and just make sure my diet is balanced. The one thing they've been unquestionably proven to do is lighten your wallet. - 11/20/2012 2:43:10 AM
  • TKB777
    Thanks for the interesting guide. The data behind supplements is mixed and unfortunately fdrug companies aren't funding the necessary studies to show efficacy. Check out the following guide written by a doctor regarding some common supplements: http://voices.yah
    oo.com/a-doct
    ors-guide-hea
    rt-healthy-su
    pplements-118
    34420.html?cat=5
    - 11/14/2012 10:27:12 PM