Your arteries are composed of several layers of tissues that provide them with strength and elasticity, allowing for smooth and efficient blood flow while accommodating wide variations in blood pressure and the various movements of your body as you go about your day. A variety of vitamins and minerals contribute to maintaining the health and strength of your arteries. Consult your doctor before using vitamins and minerals to treat a medical condition.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C improves the strength of artery walls by reducing oxidative stress and protecting arteries from the damaging effects of homocysteine -- an inflammatory molecule -- according to naturopath Zina Kroner, author of the book "Vitamins and Minerals: Fact Versus Fiction." Taking vitamin C before a high-fat meal can help to reduce the oxidative effects and endothelial dysfunction that occur for several hours following the meal. High-dose vitamin C supplementation -- as much as 2,000 mg per day -- can help smokers to reduce endothelial damage, a condition to which they are particularly susceptible, by up to 59 percent.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E helps to prevent arteriosclerosis by inhibiting excess growth of the muscular layer that lines arteries, according to a study by the Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan. Researchers used the most potent form of fat soluble vitamin E in the laboratory animal study and found that a significant reduction in arterial wall thickening occurred. Vitamin E also inhibited formation of free radicals. The study was published in the September 2010 issue of the journal "Free Radical Biology and Medicine."
Beta Carotene
Researchers at the Cardiology Unit, San Camillo de Lellis Hospital, Foggia, Italy, reported that beta-carotene may stop arteriosclerosis at its early non-symptomatic stages. In the study, scientists used ultrasound to measure the carotid artery thickness in 165 participants. Those with arteriosclerosis showed higher levels of total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein, LDL, cholesterol, triglycerides and C-reactive protein -- a marker for inflammation. Lower levels of beta-carotene and the related compound lycopene were noted in the participants with arteriosclerosis. The researchers recommend adequate consumption of antioxidant carotenoid vitamins as a means of preventing early stages of cardiovascular disease. The study was published in the October 2010 issue of the "Journal of Biological Regulators and Homeostatic Agents."
Calcium
Calcium decreases blood pressure by promoting relaxation of the endothelium, according to Michel Feletou, author of the book "EDHF: the Complete Story." Calcium works with magnesium to keep arteries healthy by maintaining proper muscle tone within the endothelium, says Stephen Sinatra, M.D., author of the book "Lower Your Blood Pressure in Eight Weeks." People with low calcium levels are more prone to high blood pressure, says Sinatra, who recommends 500 to 1,000 mg of calcium daily for premenopausal women and 1,500 mg per day for postmenoapsual women.
References
- "Vitamins and Minerals: Fact Versus Fiction"; Zina Kroner; 2011
- "Free Radical Biology and Medicine"; Inhibition of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation by the Vitamin E Derivative Pentamethylhydroxychromane in an in Vitro and in Vivo Study: Pivotal Role of Hydroxyl Radical-mediated Plcgamma1 and Jak2 Phosphorylation; C. Hseih, et al.; September 2010 Hsieh Cy,
- "Journal of Biological Regulators and Homeostatic Agents"; Carotenoids and Asymptomatic Carotid Atherosclerosis; G.Riccioni, et al.; October 2010
- "Lower Your Blood Pressure in Eight Weeks: a Revolutionary New Program for a ..."; Stephen T. Sinatra; 2003
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