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- Nutritional Supplementation Aides Cardiac Rehabilitation
Nutritional Supplementation Aides Cardiac Rehabilitation
In my experience as a cancer survivor who developed chemotherapy-induced cardiomyopathy, I have learned that nutritional supplementation aides cardiac rehabilitation.
After a brief trial with a prescribed conventional heart med (metoprolol), I swore off all types of conventional heart meds and decides to try to manage my heart damage with evidence-based non-conventional therapies.
Sadly, the studies linked below all cite nutritional supplementation as being ineffective for managing my heart disease. My problem is that my annual echocardiogram and electrogram indicate that the heart health metrics such as:
- ejection fraction
- hypertension
- heart rate
- heart size
all have stabilized or improved.
While I’m not willing to go so far as to say that conventional cardiology is conspiring to discredit non-conventional medicine, I am willing to say that cardiology’s biases hurt laypeople like me trying to manage their heart health. The nutritional supplementation that I take daily is
- easy and
- inexpensive
- free of side effects
relative to conventional heart meds.
Which nutritional supplements improve heart health?
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids (Fish Oil)
- Benefits: Omega-3s, particularly EPA and DHA found in fish oil, are known for their anti-inflammatory properties. They help reduce triglyceride levels, lower blood pressure, and may reduce the risk of heart disease.
- Sources: Fish oil supplements, flaxseed oil, and algae-based omega-3 supplements (for vegetarians/vegans).
- Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)
- Benefits: CoQ10 is an antioxidant that plays a crucial role in energy production within cells. It may help improve blood vessel function, lower blood pressure, and protect the heart from oxidative stress.
- Sources: Available in supplement form, also found in small amounts in meat, fish, and whole grains.
- Magnesium
- Benefits: Magnesium helps regulate blood pressure, supports normal heart rhythm, and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Sources: Magnesium supplements, leafy green vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.
- Fiber (Psyllium, Inulin, etc.)
- Benefits: Soluble fiber helps lower LDL cholesterol levels, which is beneficial for heart health. It also helps regulate blood sugar levels and maintain a healthy weight.
- Sources: Fiber supplements like psyllium, inulin, or from dietary sources such as oats, fruits, vegetables, and legumes.
- Plant Sterols and Stanols
- Benefits: These substances can help lower LDL cholesterol by blocking its absorption in the intestines.
- Sources: Available in fortified foods and as supplements.
- Vitamin D
- Benefits: Adequate levels of vitamin D are associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, although the exact mechanisms are still being studied.
- Sources: Vitamin D supplements, fortified foods, and sunlight exposure.
- L-Carnitine
- Benefits: L-carnitine helps transport fatty acids into the mitochondria of cells, where they are burned for energy. It may improve heart function, especially in people with heart failure.
- Sources: L-carnitine supplements, red meat, and dairy products.
- Garlic
- Benefits: Garlic has been shown to have a modest effect in reducing blood pressure and cholesterol levels, contributing to better heart health.
- Sources: Garlic supplements, raw or cooked garlic.
- Resveratrol
- Benefits: Found in red wine and certain berries, resveratrol is an antioxidant that may protect the lining of the blood vessels and reduce inflammation.
- Sources: Resveratrol supplements, grapes, berries, and red wine.
- Niacin (Vitamin B3)
- Benefits: Niacin helps lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol, although it should be used under medical supervision due to potential side effects.
- Sources: Niacin supplements, poultry, fish, and whole grains.
man hand holding his nutritional supplemets, healthy lifestyle background.
The one edit I would make to the list of nutritional supplements that I take for cardiac rehabilitation would be a supplement that is a vitamin B complex not simply niacin. I also would add moderate, daily exercise but that’s not a nutritional supplement.
It’s important for me to stress that conventional vs. non-conventional heart health is not a yes or no, zero sum game. For example, moderate exercise may reduce the need to lower the dose of a conventional med that a heart patient is taking.
If you would like to learn more about how nutritional supplementation aides cardiac rehabilitation, email any and all questions to David.PeopleBeatingCancer@gmail.com
Thank you,
David Emerson
- Cancer Survivor
- Cancer Coach
- Director PeopleBeatingCancer
Most Supplements Offer Little Protection Against Heart Disease
“Certain nutritional supplements and dietary interventions may reduce the risk for some cardiovascular outcomes in adults; however, the overall effect of nutritional supplements on cardiovascular disease outcomes remains unclear, according to a review published online July 9 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Safi U. Khan, M.D., from West Virginia University in Morgantown, and colleagues selected nine systematic reviews and four new randomized controlled trials that encompassed 277 trials, 24 interventions, and 992,129 participants to examine the effects of nutritional supplements and dietary interventions on mortality and cardiovascular outcomes. Overall, 105 meta-analyses were generated.
The researchers found moderate-certainty evidence that lower salt intake reduced the risk for all-cause mortality in normotensive participants and cardiovascular mortality in hypertensive participants (risk ratios [RRs], 0.90 and 0.67, respectively).
Omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid correlated with a reduced risk for myocardial infarction and coronary heart disease based on low-certainty evidence (RRs, 0.92 and 0.93, respectively).
Folic acid correlated with a reduced stroke risk (low certainty evidence; RR, 0.80), while an increased risk for stroke was seen with calcium plus vitamin D (moderate certainty evidence; RR, 1.17). No significant effect on mortality or cardiovascular outcomes was seen for other nutritional supplements or dietary interventions…”
The Truth About Heart Vitamins and Supplements
“Johns Hopkins researchers (including Miller) reviewed randomized clinical trials involving hundreds of thousands of subjects, in which some were given vitamins and others a placebo. “We found no evidence of benefits to cardiovascular disease,” Miller says. “Supplements were ineffective and unnecessary…”
Supplements probably aren’t helping your heart, research suggests
“More than half of adults report using dietary supplements ( and believe that nutritional supplementation aides cardiac rehabilitation) but new research suggests that most vitamins and minerals don’t do anything for heart health. Some products, according to a review of hundreds of existing studies, may even increase the risk of stroke.
“This research further shows that despite extensive sales and use of different dietary supplements, there is a lack of scientific evidence supporting the use of many supplements,” said Dr. Bruce Y. Lee, an associate professor of international health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, who was not involved in the research…”