June 13, 2012: 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.

Bringing love to more than just your heart, fish oil has been linked to muscle strength,bone health, cognition, telomere length, and even sun protection.

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. Atherosclerosis2012;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. doi: 10.1161/​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
8. Huang T et al. Meta-analysis of B vitamin supplementation on plasma homocysteine, cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Clin Nutr 2012http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2011.01.003
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

source: http://www.isagenixhealth.net/blog/2012/06/13/five-reasons-to-get-ageless-essentials-for-your-heart/

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