Heart arrhythmia, an irregular heart rate, is a condition that can range from benign and harmless to life-threatening. About 4.3 million Americans have one of four different types of heart arrhythmia, according to the Center for Mechanical Stimulation Technology. Providing your heart with the nutrients and vitamin complexes that it requires to function optimally may help reduce the symptoms of an arrhythmia. Always consult your doctor about using supplements to treat a medical condition.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C prevented atrial fibrillation -- a condition in which the upper chambers of the heart beat rapidly and out of sync with the lower chambers -- after heart surgery in a Greek study published in the February 2011 issue of the journal "Interactive Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery." Vitamin C's antioxidant activity reduces oxidative stress on the heart, which is thought to be an underlying cause of atrial fibrillation. In the study, 170 cardiac patients took vitamin C before and after surgery and showed 16 percent less incidence of atrial fibrillation. The vitamin C group also had nearly three days' shorter hospital stays.
Magnesium
Magnesium and potassium might help reduce symptoms of heart arrhythmia, according to Steven Bratman, M.D., author of the book "Collins Alternative Health Guide." Magnesium is used to stabilize the heart after cardiac surgery, although it has not been proven to prevent heart arrhythmia in patients with a tendency toward atrial fibrillation. Doses of 250 mg to 500 mg of magnesium per day have been used for this purpose. Potassium might also be helpful for some people with arrhythmia, particularly those with low levels of potassium, as a deficiency of this mineral can cause heart rhythm abnormalities. Use 500 mg of potassium per day to decrease arrhythmia. As a precaution, Bratman notes that heart arrhythmias require close medical supervision. Consult your doctor before taking any supplements or making any changes to your health care program if you have a heart arrhythmia.
Coenzyme Q10
Coenzyme Q10, an antioxidant available in supplement form, may be helpful at managing heart arrhythmia in some people, according to acupuncturist Christopher Hobbs, L.Ac. and Elson Haas, M.D., co-authors of the book "Vitamins For Dummies." Coenzyme Q10 is involved in energy production in every cell of your body and, although it is not an essential nutrient, has been shown to provide benefits for a variety of health conditions. Use 50 mg to 75 mg per day to assist with heart arrhythmia.
Selenium
Selenium is an antioxidant mineral that is necessary for the production of glutathione peroxidase, one of your heart and liver's primary detoxifying enzymes and one that can reduce workload and improve efficiency of your heart. French researchers found selenium supplementation helpful in protecting against arrhythmia resulting from reperfusion injury -- a condition that occurs when the heart goes through a period of decreased blood supply followed by restoration of normal blood supply. In the laboratory animal study, selenium supplementation increased glutathione peroxidase activity in both sides of the heart and decreased arrhythmia by 55 percent compared to a control group. The study appeared in the March 1998 issue of the "Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology."
References
- "Interactive Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery"; The Role of Ascorbic Acid in the Prevention of Atrial Fibrillation After Elective On-pump Myocardial Revascularization Surgery: a Single-center Experience--a Pilot Study; P. Papoulidis, et al.; February 2011
- "Collins Alternative Health Guide"; Steven Bratman; 2007
- "Vitamins For Dummies"; Christopher Hobbs; 2011
- "Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology"; Trace Elements and Cardioprotection: Increasing Endogenous Glutathione Peroxidase Activity by Oral Selenium Supplementation in Rats Limits Reperfusion-induced Arrhythmias; S. Tanguy, et al.; March 1998
- Algor.com: Advancing the Frontiers of Cardiac Research
