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Supplements that may help lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and other things that put you at risk for heart disease


By Apricot Power
Newsletters

February 2018 Newsletter

American Heart Month

February is not only the month that includes Valentine’s Day, but it’s also “American Heart Month”. Cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke, remains the leading global cause of death with more than 17.3 million deaths each year. That number is expected to rise to more than 23.6 million by 2030. As alarming as those numbers think about this. In 2014 on average, someone died of CVD (cardiovascular disease) every 40 seconds. But what can you do to avoid CVD?

Research shows that some supplements may help lower cholesterol, improve blood pressure, and other things that put you at risk for heart disease. Here are a few that may help.

  • Fiber: Fiber cuts down the amount of cholesterol your body soaks up from food. Try to get at least 25 to 30 grams of it every day.
  • Sterols and Stanols: These can be found in foods like nuts such as apricot seeds and grains. You can also buy them as supplements.
  • Coenzyme Q10 ( CoQ10 ): Your body naturally makes small amounts of this enzyme. As a supplement, CoQ10 may help lower blood pressure.
  • Green Tea: Research shows that both the extract and the drink may lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and raise HDL levels.
  • Vitamin D: Vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased cardiovascular risk, above and beyond established cardiovascular risk factors.
  • Other Vitamins and Supplements: There are many other vitamins that may help maintain good heart health including niacin, arginine, Hawthorne extract, lycopene, and lecithin to name a few. A quality multivitamin like our “Advanced Liquid Multiple” includes all of these along with most of the above list.

What the Heck is...

There is a whole world of vitamins, nutrients, and supplements in the market. It’s very hard to know everything about each and every one of them. What are they? What do they do? Why do I need them? This column will highlight a supplement you may not have know or have heard about. This month we will feature something that may help heart health.

Got Heart? Resveratrol is part of a group of micronutrients called polyphenols, which are compounds commonly found in natural plant food sources. Many berries, herbs, nuts, and seeds are good sources of polyphenols. High levels of polyphenols are found in the outer layers of plants. Resveratrol is found mainly in the skin of grapes and wine. However, because resveratrol is found in such small quantities in the diet, any protective effect of this molecule is unlikely at normal nutritional intakes. Taking resveratrol supplements complement the intake of red grapes and red wine.

BENEFITS Resveratrol has gained attention for its anti-aging (protects from free radical damage) and disease-fighting potential.

Heart disease: It may help reduce inflammation, lower LDL (“bad” cholesterol), and make it more difficult for clots to form that can lead to a heart attack. It helps to protect the production of nitric oxide, the critical chemical produced by the endothelium that keeps blood vessels optimally dilated.

Diabetes: Resveratrol may help prevent insulin resistance, a condition in which the body becomes less sensitive to the blood sugar-lowering hormone insulin. The condition that can lead to diabetes.

May Protect the Brain: Resveratrol is particularly unique as its antioxidants can cross the blood-brain barrier to protect the brain and the nervous system, unlike other antioxidants. Recent studies showed increased blood flow to the brain, suggesting a considerable benefit to healthy brain function and neuroprotective effects.

Apricot Power has a number of other supplements that may be beneficial to heart health. We invite you to visit our website or call one of our friendly, knowledgeable Customer Service Representatives to find out more.