Vitamins and Minerals for Heart Health

When dealing with heart problems there are many things that you can do. You need to manage your stress levels, improve your diet to increase the amount of fresh fruit and vegetables that you eat to about 60-80% and you need to increase the exercise that you have. There are also vitamins and herbs that you can take to cleanse your body of toxins and thus cleanse your arteries and to build and repair your arteries and strengthen the heart itself. This article looks specifically at the vitamins and minerals that are needed.

A number of nutritional supplements can be taken to help prevent and treat heart disease. You need to consider doing the following:

• Take a good multivitamin and mineral supplement at least daily. The supplements need to provide the nutrients that you need in a balance that will enable them to be effectively used by the body. Heart disease is associated with a diet that is lacking in green leafy and other vegetables and is high in saturated fats and carbohydrates. This diet often leaves the body lacking the nutrients that it needs and in particular the B group vitamins.


• Omega 3 fish oil is a potent heart tonic. Fatty acids are an important part of cell membranes. They help to determine the fluidity and chemical activity of cell membranes. Fatty acids enable the synthesis of prostaglandins - hormone like substances found in all cells which are responsible for many functions at cellular level and regulate many body processes such as cardiovascular function. Fatty acids also regulate oxygen use, electron transportation and energy production (these are the most important processes occurring in the cells) and help transport cholesterol in the blood. They also help to generate electrical currents and keep the heart rate regular.


• Take vitamin C which is thought to lower the total cholesterol level and it may have a beneficial effect on the blood pressure. The antioxidant properties of the vitamin will help to encourage the overall health of the heart.


• Coenzyme Q10 has been successfully used in the treatment of angina, arrhythmia and other symptoms of heart disease. It is also an essential nutrient for the heart and an antioxidant. It can help cells produce energy to keep the heart beating.


• Vitamin E can reduce the 'stickiness' of platelets and reduce the risk of heart disease. Seek advice first if you have been prescribed 'blood thinning' drugs.


• Magnesium and vitamin B6 may help to reduce the likelihood of clots.


• Chromium has been linked to lower rates of heart disease.

It is important to remove accumulated toxins from your body - the accumulation of atheroma on your arteries is an example of toxic build up. You need to start with cleaning you colon and liver and then cleanse your arteries. I recommend you read Safe Colon Cleansing Your Good Health Guide. You need to start by cleansing your major organs of elimination (colon and liver). When they are clean they will function better and assist in the work of cleaning you arteries. If you smoke you also need to quit - smoking is a cause of heart disease.