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Multivitamins can help you stay healthy into old
age.
|
Did you
know that typical diets lack vitamins and minerals that can be crucial for the
health of your heart? Or that being overweight or obese may place a strain on
your heart that increases your needs for certain vitamins and minerals?
Knowing
what the best nutrition for your health is—and then sticking to that
nutrition—may sometimes feel like a hard bite to chew. But even harder to chew
is the fact that less-than-optimal nutrient intake among the population is so
prevalent, especially when food is more readily available now than any other
point in history. The hard truth is that food as fuel is abundant, but the
nutrient density, or health, of food is on the descent. Fortunately, there
are solutions, and taking a multivitamin may be a good way to ensure you’re
getting the appropriate amounts of vitamins and minerals needed for lifelong
health.
Take
notice of the nutrients making their way from your plate to your palate.
If you’re not getting adequate nutrients coming from your plate, make sure that
you are not overlooking some quick fixes that can bring your diet up to par.
Still today we are uncovering the depth of vitamins and minerals, how they
interact with the body, and what levels are truly optimal. Armed with science,
Isagenix is highlighting five nutrient recommendations that may supplement your
heart.
1. Selenium
and Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)
Poor
diets, inactivity, and too much stress make it no wonder that the heart is
often the victim of bad health. But researchers from Linkoping
University and the Karolinska Institute report new findings that show
healthy older people supplementing with coQ10 and selenium can
improve cardiovascular function over the course of four years (1).
Selenium
is a valuable micronutrient that makes its way into many body proteins as well
as servicing the body with antioxidant protection. CoQ10 is a valuable link in
cellular energy production—by supporting your mitochondria (the power house of
the cell), coQ10 has also been linked to supporting a long lifespan. Supplying
the body with these antioxidant protectants aid both cell and cardiovascular
fitness. According to this randomized, placebo-controlled study, selenium and
coQ10 may be just what’s needed to keep those vital beats coming.
What about
the problems with coQ10 absorption? Yes, it’s true. CoQ10 is a hard-to-absorb
compound. That is why Ageless Essentials Daily Pack includes 100 milligrams of
a patent-pending coQ10
that is clinically tested. It features a lipid-solubilization-stabilization
technology shown to increase absorption by 800 percent.
2. Fish
Oil
Feasting
on cold-water fish off the shores of Greenland, the native Inuit populations
were the first clue into the labyrinth of possibility afforded to your heart
from fish oil. More than 40 years later, fish oil is far from a hidden health
secret. Recommended by every health authority from the American Heart Association
(AHA) to the World Health Organization (WHO), intake of long-chain omega-3
fatty acids is globally hailed as a pivotal part of a heart-friendly diet
(2).
A recent
meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials has confirmed that these long-chain
omega-3s may also help the blood vessels to relax—a key factor in maintaining
long-term cardiovascular health (3). These polyunsaturated fatty acids enable
blood to flow more easily, so that you can too.
3.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D
is known for more than just building bones. The diversity of the sunshine
vitamin lights up nearly every corner of the cardiovascular system. While the
variety of functions is still being defined, there are known
receptors that vitamin D binds to in the smooth muscle of the blood
vessels, the cells lining the vessels, and heart muscle cells (4).
As you may
have guessed from the blood vessel and heart cells susceptible to vitamin D
signaling, this natural sun derivative regulates blood pressure, as well as the
growth and pumping ability of the heart muscle. Researchers from the University
of Birmingham in England found that individuals with metabolic syndrome
(characterized by abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, and hypertension among
other symptoms) had better cardiovascular outcomes when vitamin D status was
optimal (5).
Prominent
vitamin D researcher Michael Holick Ph.D. discusses the action of vitamin D in
more depth, and why people who are overweight or obese may need more, here.
4.
Resveratrol
Resveratrol
is at the forefront of dietary compounds that contribute to healthy aging and
packs a punch when it comes to supporting the cardiovascular system. Recently,
research found that resveratrol improved the stress response following a
high-calorie meal (6), while a study from the University of
Murcia in Spain found similar protective effects after a high-calorie
meal, but in the arteries of an animal model (7).
Considering
its first-found fame, this plant polyphenol found in red wine was thought to be
responsible for the ‘French Paradox,’ in which regardless of indulging in a
high fat diet, the French enjoy low rates of cardiovascular disease. However,
the current scientific consensus is that the prominent heart health of the
French is most likely due to a multitude of diet and lifestyle factors
including, but not solely limited to, consuming resveratrol.
5.
B Vitamins
It may
seem strange that the primary function of B vitamins is to shift things around.
Whether they are carrying electrons to produce energy, or methyl groups to
support the brain and nervous system, B vitamins are certainly not something to
be without. In addition to forming red blood cells, vitamin B12 and folate
(vitamin B9) play roles as cardiovascular detoxifiers recycling homocysteine
and re-synthesizing the essential amino acid methionine.
A new
meta-analysis conducted at the Zhejiang University in China suggests that in
addition to providing the essential-for-life functions of metabolism and
methylation, their role as homocysteine detoxifiers may lend a boost to better
heart health (8).
The
developed world is consuming its way out of health. While the average lifespan
seems to be increasing, quality of life does not. Nutrition should not
contribute to poor health—it should protect against it. While the dietary
patterns in the Western world are not meeting the mark, there are ways to make
sure your bases are covered. Isagenix is dedicated to optimizing your diet to
optimize your lifestyle. Ageless Essentials Daily Pack combines the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in
convenient A.M. and P.M. packs to guarantee your body is getting what it needs.
Complete with selenium, coQ10, vitamin D, all of the B vitamins, fish oil, and
resveratrol, why settle for average when optimal is in your reach? We only have
one life; it’s time to make the most of it.
References:
1.
Alehagen U et al. Cardiovascular
mortality and N-terminal-proBNP reduced after combined selenium and coenzyme
Q10 supplementation: A 5-year prospective randomized double-blind
placebo-controlled trial among elderly Swedish citizens. Int J of cardio
2012; doi:10.1016/j.ijcard.2012.04.156
2.
Wang C et al. n—3 Fatty acids from
fish or fish-oil supplements, but not alpha-linolenic acid, benefit
cardiovascular disease outcomes in primary-and secondary-prevention studies: a
systematic review. Am
J Clin Nutr 2006; 84:5-17.
3. Wang Q et al. Effect of omega-3
fatty acids supplementation on endothelial function: A meta-analysis of
randomized controlled trials. Atherosclerosis 2012;221(2):536-43. doi:10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2012.01.006
4. Wang TJ et al. Vitamin D Deficiency
and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease. Circulation 2008;117:503-11. doi10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.107.706127
5.
Thomas N et al. Vitamin D Levels
Predict All-Cause and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality in Subjects with
Metabolic Syndrome: The Ludwigshafen Risk and Cardiovascular Health (LURIC)
Study. Diabetes Care 2012; 35(5):1158-64. doi: 10.2337/dc11-1714
6.
Ghanim H et al. A resveratrol and
polyphenol preparation suppresses oxidative and inflammatory stress response to
a high-fat, high-carbohydrate meal. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011;96(5):1409-12.
7.
Ortuno MA et al. A dietary
resveratrol-rich grape extract prevents the developing of atherosclerotic
lesions in the aorta of pigs fed an atherogenic diet. J Agric. Food Chem;
2012. DOI: 10.1021/jf301154q
9.
Berger KC et al. Micronutrient
shortages, micronutrient deficiencies in the United States. J Agric. Food
Chem., 1962; 19(3):178-81. DOI:
10.1021/jf60121a005