The American Heart Association says the best way to get your heart-healthy vitamins is through eating the right kinds of foods in the right amounts. But some people prefer vitamin supplements. Ask your health care provider what is right for you---and in what amounts.
No matter how you get them, vitamins are either fat soluble or water soluble, depending on how they are absorbed, transported and stored (or not) in the body.
Fat soluble vitamins (such as vitamins A, D, E and K) are absorbed in the lymph system, transported via the bloodstream and stored in the liver and fat tissue. So it is important not to ingest excessive amounts and allow high levels to accumulate. Water-soluble vitamins (the B family and C) are dissolved easily and excreted in urine. Meat is a good source of the B vitamins, which break down homocysteine---which is why vegetarians are at higher risk for dangerous homocysteine levels.
Folate
Folate, also known as vitamin B9, helps prevent high levels of homocysteine from building up in your body. Homocysteine is a byproduct of your body metabolizing the amino acid methionine, and it can damage the lining of your arteries. Eating foods fortified with folic acid (synthetic folate) or taking supplements can break down homocysteine and remove it from your body.
Cereals, breads and other food products are enriched with folic acid, but many foods are high in folate naturally. They include corn, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, fresh green vegetable, green peas, spinach, oranges, liver, black-eyed peas, black beans, chickpeas, lentils, pinto beans and kidney beans.
Thiamine
Vitamin B1, also called thiamine, helps your heart beat strong and regularly, and it helps keep your heart muscle elastic. Low levels of thiamine may lead to abnormal heart beats---though it is not clear that taking extra can help improve irregularities.
Foods that contain thiamine include green peas, spinach, liver, beef, pork, navy beans, nuts, pinto beans and soybeans.
Niacin
Doses of 1 to 3 g per day of niacin, or B3, have been used successfully to reduce high cholesterol levels.
Foods rich in niacin include green peas, liver, red meat, poultry, mackerel, mullet, salmon, swordfish, kidney beans, peanuts and soybeans.
Vitamins B6 and B12
Both vitamins B6 (pyridoxine) and B12 (cyanocobalamin) also play a role in ridding your body of homocysteine. In addition, both are also involved in the production of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying molecule in the red blood cells.
Foods containing B6 are potatoes, yams, bananas, chicken, turkey, mackerel, mullet, salmon, swordfish, trout and tuna. Foods containing B12 are dairy products, organ meats (liver, heart, kidneys), eggs, beef and seafood.
Vitamin C
The vitamin also known as ascorbic acid is heart-healthy because of its role in making collagen, a tissue needed for healthy blood vessels. Vitamin C has also been shown to reduce heart disease risk by lowering cholesterol levels and reducing blood pressure. It is an antioxidant that neutralizes harmful free radicals, byproducts generated by normal biochemical reactions in your body.
Find high levels of vitamin C in plantains, asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, bell peppers, tomatoes, blackberries, grapefruit, guava, kiwifruit, mango, melons, oranges, pineapples and strawberries.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is considered one of nature's most effective antioxidants, and it is essential for helping make red blood cells and prevent blood from clotting.
Foods containing vitamin E include wheat germ, shrimp, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pistachio nuts, soybeans and sunflower seeds.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K helps make four of the 13 proteins necessary for blood clotting.
Some foods high in vitamin K include asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, green peas, spinach, apricots, grapes, pears and plums.
References
- "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vitamins and Minerals"; Alan H. Pressman with Sheila Buff; 2007
- National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements: Calcium
- American Heart Association: Vitamin and Mineral Supplements
- "Nutrition for Life"; Dietitian Lisa Hark and Dr. Darwin Deen: 2005
- MyClevelandClinic.org: Antioxidants, Vitamin E, Beta Carotene, and cardiovascular disease
