Supplements for a healthy heart

In an average lifetime, the heart beats more than two and a half billion times, without ever pausing to rest, continuously pumping blood containing oxygen and nutrients to the tissues and organs in our bodies. Keeping your heart healthy is therefore vital for life. In addition to eating a healthy, balanced diet - keeping fatty foods to a minimum - and exercising regularly, there are some supplements that may help your heart stay healthy.

Antioxidants
What are antioxidants?
Antioxidants are, literally, substances that prevent oxidation. Oxidation is a chemical process that occurs when a substance reacts or combines with oxygen to form what are known as free radicals.

What are free radicals and how do they cause harm?
Free radicals are a group of substances produced during chemical reactions involving oxygen. Free radicals have unpaired electrons and as such they are very unstable (conversely, paired electrons are stable). Any unstable chemical substance will always attempt to become stable by oxidation ie trying to gain electrons from other molecules and free radicals are no exception. However, in their attempt to become more stable by oxidation, free radicals do damage to cells.

If free radicals try to stabilise themselves by oxidising DNA (the body's genetic code) in the centre (nucleus) of the cell, the reaction can cause changes in the cell, which may initiate cancer. If free radicals oxidise cholesterol particles in the blood, this can trigger the build up of fatty deposits in the arteries, which may lead to heart disease or stroke. The effects of excessive free radical damage become more obvious as we get older. Oxidation is linked with the formation of wrinkles and age spots - and with some of the diseases of ageing, like arthritis, cataracts and Parkinson's Disease.

Antioxidants to the rescue
So, what can we do to protect ourselves from free radicals? This is where antioxidants come in. In a person who is eating a healthy balanced diet, excessive free radicals are held in check by antioxidant defence mechanisms. These mechanisms are part of the normal functioning of cells, so if they don't work properly, cells get damaged.

What sort of diet do we need to keep our antioxidant defences performing efficiently? Antioxidants are found principally in fresh fruits and vegetables. Over 200 studies have looked at the relationship between fresh fruit and vegetables and various diseases like heart disease. Overwhelmingly, the majority have found that a diet high in fruit and vegetables has a protective effect. While fruit and vegetables contain many different compounds, it seems to be the antioxidants that have the most beneficial effect.

Fish oils reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease by helping to prevent the build up of fatty deposits in the arteries, which, if left unchecked, can block key routes to the heart or brain triggering an attack or stroke. There is growing evidence that taking fish oil supplements reduces the risk of this happening. Fish oils can also help to prevent clotting of the blood (thrombosis). If a blood clot (thrombus) forms in the blood, it can prevent oxygen reaching the tissues, and if it travels to the heart, it can cause a heart attack. For these reasons, anyone at risk of coronary heart disease will benefit from consuming omega-3 fatty acids either from food, or from supplements.

Garlic
You may be surprised to hear that aside from its uses as a food-flavoring, garlic also possesses benefits for heart health. This may explain why our Mediterranean neighbours - who consume vast amounts - have healthier hearts than we do in the UK.

When it comes to maintaining a healthy heart and circulatory system, it is well recognised that it is the ratio of the various types of cholesterol and fats found in the blood that play a more important role than the total levels measured. While garlic contains compounds that help lower the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides (the chemical form in which most fat exists in food as well as in the body), it actually helps reduce the levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL or 'bad' cholesterol) whilst increasing the levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDL or 'good' cholesterol). It is thought that an increase in HDL may help with the removal of cholesterol from the blood.

Garlic can be added to many hot meals during the winter time but make sure it is crushed and not sliced; otherwise it does not have the same potency. Garlic can also be taken in supplement form and for those who do not appreciate garlic's distinct odour, there are also tablets available, which are odourless and tasteless.

Ginkgo Biloba
The Chinese have been using Ginkgo for thousands of years to relieve many ailments. Gingko works by increasing bloodflow to the body's network of blood vessels; hence why it is often used in supplement form to promote a healthy heart. Good circulation is not just important for the health of your heart but also for general good health, as better blood circulation increases the supply of oxygen and nutrients to your body.

A healthy, balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables and oily fish should normally provide you with the vitamins and nutrients mentioned above. However, a recent government-funded, large-scale nutritional study of the UK population showed that most people failed to achieve daily target intakes for all vitamins and minerals needed to maintain their health from diet alone.

If you do choose to take any of the supplements mentioned above, consult a pharmacist, GP or health professional first as some may interfere with prescription medications you may be taking.

For further information on supplementation, visit the Health Supplements Information Service website at www.hsis.org.