A healthy heart is crucial for normal functioning because your heart is responsible for pumping blood throughout your entire body. A diet filled with vitamins plays a role in your heart health. Certain vitamins benefit the way your heart works. Heart disease and even heart attack may be able to be prevented by consuming a diet high in essential vitamins. If you have heart problems, be sure to consult your doctor before taking vitamin supplements.
Vitamin B6
Adequate amounts of vitamin B6 can help reduce your risk for heart disease and improve your heart health. According to an article in the July 2000 issue of "Nutrition Science News," vitamin B6 helps metabolize homocysteine into the harmless amino acid cysteine. Doing so helps your body to control growth and support tissue formation. High levels of blood homocysteine can lead to heart disease. Regular consumption of vitamin B6 is beneficial to controlling these levels. Vitamin B6 can be found in fortified cereals, beans and meat. The recommended amount of vitamin B6 is 2 mg for men and 1.6 mg for women.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E aids in heart health because it acts as an antioxidant in the body. Vitamin E helps neutralize free radicals and prevent disease. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, vitamin E slows the process of plaque buildup in the arteries, which can lead to many heart problems. Foods that contain vitamin E include nuts, seeds and vegetable oil.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C prevents the activity of free radicals in the body, meaning that it helps fight disease. According to the website NaturalNews, vitamin C can prevent heart disease because it can prevent damage to the arteries by helping build collagen. The site adds that a study published in the "British Medical Journal" found that of men who had a heart attack, 13.2 percent had a vitamin C deficiency. Choosing to eat fruits like papaya, oranges and strawberries delivers a good source of vitamin C to your body.
Vitamin D
According to a study found in the July 2009 issue of "Current Vascular Pharmacology," vitamin D can help reduce your risk of getting cardiovascular disease because it can help reduce inflammation. Vitamin D can be found in fatty fish, fortified cereals and eggs, as well as natural sunlight.
References
- "Nutrition Science News"; 3 B's Block Cardiovascular Disease; Raymond Lombardi; July 2000
- NaturalNews: Vitamin C Prevents Cancer, Stroke, Diabetes, and Heart Disease; Melanie Grimes; September 2010
- Linus Pauling Institute; Unraveling the Conflicting Studies on Vitamin E and Heart Disease; Jeffrey Blumberg; May 2002
- "Current Vascular Pharmacology"; Vitamin D and Cardiovascular Disease; I. Gouni-Berthold, et al.; July 2009
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