Heart disease related deaths in 2005 were 652,091. Heart disease was 27.1% of all U.S. deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). More than 151,000 Americans who died of cardiovascular diseases in 2005 were younger than age 65. The good news is that this number was lower than the previous year's number. In fact, the CDC reported there has been a steady decline in the number of deaths from heart disease since 1980.

Perhaps Americans really have become more aware of heart-healthful habits and products. After all, as of November 2004, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had approved heart-health claims for several foods, including soy, fiber and olive oil. And there are also many dietary supplements that promote cardiovascular wellness. The following list (in alphabetical order) comprises 20 such ingredients, which are likely to appear on the labels of heart-focused supplements and functional foods.

Best Heart Protecting Supplements 

Alpha-Lipoic Acid

• Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is great for our hearts and found naturally in our diets. ALA has been identified as a powerful antioxidant, but appears to have increased functional capacity when given as a supplement in the form of a natural or synthetic isolate. ALA also prevents cardiovascular risk factors such as LDL oxidation and high blood pressure.⁽¹⁾

Chlorella

• Chlorella, a green superfood, may reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering blood pressure.⁽²⁾ Flint chlorella has helped many in reaching their blood pressure goals.⁽³⁾

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

• CoQ10 was the focus of a new clinical trial, Q-SYMBIO, and found that CoQ10 may reverse the "energy starvation" in heart tissue, which is a large underlying factor for heart attack.⁽⁴⁾

Fiber

• As evidenced by the FDA's July 2003 approval of a qualified health claim, fiber is a good way to protect against coronary heart disease (CHD). Dietary fiber also seems to prevent peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in men. One Harvard study of 40,000 male health professionals found that a high total dietary fiber intake was linked to a 40 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease.

Fish Oil

• Fish oil supplements lower cholesterol, have anti-inflammatory properties and reduce the risk of death from heart attack.⁽⁵⁾ Fish oil is recommended for a heart healthy diet because it contains the Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), precursors to eicosanoids that reduce inflammation throughout the body.

Folic Acid

• Similar to fiber, folic acid is known to decrease peripheral arterial disease risk in men.⁽⁶⁾ Vitamin B--at 800 micrograms per day also appears to reduce young women's risk of developing high blood pressure.⁽⁷⁾

Garlic

• Aged garlic extract (AGE) has a history of reducing several cardiovascular risk factors, including blood pressure, cholesterol and platelet aggregation.⁽⁸⁾ The 1-year pilot trial described in that issue showed that AGE supplementation also slows coronary calcification, a marker of arterial plaque formation.

Ginseng

• There is evidence that ginseng can help manage high blood pressure and improve cardiovascular function.⁽⁹⁾ Some of the herb's protective effects include its antioxidant properties, its ability to improve lipid levels and its effects on glucose control.

Green Tea

• Drinking at least three cups of green or black tea a day can significantly reduce the risk of stroke, a new UCLA study has found. And the more you drink, the better your odds of staving off a stroke.⁽¹⁰⁾ Though no one is certain which compounds in tea are responsible for this effect, researchers have speculated that the antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) or the amino acid thiamine may be what helps.

L-Arginine

• L-arginine can improve endothelial function, which tends to be reduced in congestive heart failure.⁽¹¹⁾ Subsequent research showed that by improving endothelial function, L-arginine also improves exercise tolerance in patients with congestive heart failure.⁽¹²⁾

L-Carnitine

• A compound formed from two amino acids (lysine and methionine), L-carnitine may be a viable option for lowering cholesterol.⁽¹³⁾ In an animal model of diabetes-induced high cholesterol, 10 days of L-carnitine supplementation lowered cholesterol and triglycerides.

Lycopene

• Lycopene is an antioxidant known for diminishing the risk of heart disease. Higher serum lycopene levels reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) by half, according to a study of more than 39,500 women.⁽¹⁴⁾

Magnesium  

• Endogenous magnesium levels play an important role in several aspects of heart health--including blood pressure regulation.⁽¹⁵⁾ Despite clinical trials have had less than convincing results, the reviewers recommended a magnesium-rich diet to prevent hypertension, and suggested that patients with high blood pressure take magnesium supplements.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

• Omega-3 fatty acids benefit the heart of healthy people, and those at high risk or for who have cardiovascular disease. Fish is a good source of protein and is not high in saturated fat. Capsules are another source of getting omega-3 fatty acids. But taking more than 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids from capsules should only be done under a physician's care.⁽¹⁶⁾

Olive Oil

• Olive oil gained an added heart healthy acclaim in November 2004, when the FDA announced approval of a qualified health claim stating that an intake of 23 grams per day of olive oil may lower the risk of coronary heart disease.

Resveratrol

• Resveratrol, an antioxidant compound found in grape skins, red wine and peanuts. The ill vitro and in vivo data support this compound for bolstering heart health.⁽¹⁷⁾ Research results are consistent with the notion that trans-resveratrol may contribute to the presumed protective role of red wine against atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease.⁽¹⁸⁾

Soy

• Soy has received FDA approval for a heart-health claim, although the legume has been qualified since October 1999. One study showed that of 65,000 women, those who had the highest soy food intakes were at a reduced risk of heart disease.⁽¹⁹⁾

Sterols and Stanols

• Plant sterols and stanols are functional food ingredients used to improve cholesterol levels. Plant sterols or stanols in fortified foods don't appear to affect levels of triglycerides or of "good" high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. The American Heart Association recommends foods fortified with plant sterols for people with levels of LDL cholesterol over 160 milligrams per deciliter (4.1 mmol/L).

Vitamin C

• Vitamin C possesses antioxidant properties, which may be partly responsible for its ability" to stave off heart disease. Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston reviewed 16 years of data from more than 85,000 women and noted vitamin supplements were specifically seen to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Vitamin E

• Vitamin E used to be THE supplement people were told to take for heart care. Until recently, a few randomized clinical studies could not confirm the role of vitamin E supplements in heart disease prevention. Johns Hopkins University performed a meta-analysis of 19 clinical studies and they published their findings in January 2005. The result showed that a daily dose of 400 IU or more vitamin E increased the risk of death from all cause. In addition, the Women's Healthy Study published in July 2005 also showed that 600 IU of natural-source vitamin E also does little or nothing to prevent heart disease in healthy women.

References

• 1. State the Canadian researchers in the November 2003 issue of The Journal of Nutrition
• 2. Fall 2002 report in the Journal of Medicinal Food
• 3. Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond
• 4. 2003 issue of BioFactors
• 5. August 2004 issue of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry
• 6. September 2003 issue of The Journal of Nutrition
• 7. Harvard researchers at an October 2004 meeting of the American Heart Association
• 8. November 2004 issue of Preventive Medicine
• 9. August 2004 Medical Science Monitor
• 10. ScienceDaily (Mar. 4, 2009)
• 11. January 2004 issue of Current Vascular Pharmacolog
• 12. April 2004 in Polish Medical Journal
• 13. November 2004 issue of Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice
• 14. January 2004 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
• 15. 2003 research review in Molecular Aspects of Medicine
• 16. November 18, 2009 issue of American Heart Association
• 17. Fall 2004 issue of Cardiovascular Drug Reviews
• 18. David Sinclair of Harvard Medical School
• 19. September 2003 The Journal of Nutrition

Bottom Line

Taking heart protecting supplements along with healthy weight and regular physical activity, an overall healthy diet can help to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels and prevent obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. This includes eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, lowering or cutting out added salt or sodium, and eating less saturated fat and cholesterol.