supps that help avoid heart disease

[sizematters270]

this was posted over at pro muscle by KM2000 It is something we should all look at seriously as prevention is better then cure.




The Best Way to Avoid Heart Disease?

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Is to start protecting your heart while your young........

i though in light of the recent problems a few members here have had with medical issues specifically heart issues, we could give some basic info on how to prevent these problems from happening instead of argueing back and forth about what caused it...

i think this will help a lot of younger people here to understand that taking precautions early in life is pretty easy to do and can pay major dividens later...

here is an article that is pretty easy to understand and gives some good advice on otc supps to help prevent problems from occuring....



the article is by Deb Knowles, here it is....

The good news is that thanks to skilled emergency medicine techniques, more people today actually survive heart attacks. The bad news is that they then are people living with heart disease.


"Surviving in order to live longer with heart disease is not ideal," said Conrad Earnest, Ph.D., director of exercise physiology at The Cooper Heart Institute. "A better idea is to do everything you can to prevent heart disease. And the younger you make that commitment, the better."

In addition to eating a heart-healthy diet, exercising regularly and quitting smoking, many Americans are improving their heart health with supplements that have been shown to make a real difference. According to The Dietary Supplement Information Bureau, a non-profit organization providing science-based information to the public, the following supplements can lead to a healthier heart:

* Vitamins: Vitamin C helps prevent cardiovascular disease. Vitamin E reduces the progress of hardening of the arteries. The B vitamins, Vitamin B6, B12 and Folic Acid protect your heart.
* Minerals: Magnesium is a key mineral for heart health. It keeps platelets from clumping together, thins the blood, blocks calcium uptake, relaxes blood vessels and helps oxygenate the heart. Copper helps form hemoglobin and collagen and supports healthy cholesterol levels. Potassium lowers high blood pressure and helps protect against strokes. Selenium protects the heart and helps prevent toxic effects of some drugs.
* Coenzyme Q10 (Co-Q10) - This nutrient has recently been recognized as playing a key role in heart health. A Co-Q10 deficiency can seriously affect heart function. Cardiologists often recommend Co-Q10 to patients taking statins (cholesterol reducing medications).
* Omega-3 Fatty Acids - More than 4,500 studies over the last 25 years have shown how vital Omega-3 Fatty Acids are to both preventing and treating cardiovascular-related diseases. Few of us eat enough fish to provide necessary levels of these essential fatty acids. Taking them in supplement form reduces both heart disease and sudden cardiac death.
* Soy - Perhaps the best publicized food for heart health, soy is available in food formats ranging from soy milk to soy hot dogs. Soy isoflavones are an especially popular supplement for preventing heart disease.
* Beta-1,3 Glucan - The major cholesterol lowering agents in oat bran fiber, beta-1,3 glucans lower total cholesterol and LDL (the"bad"cholesterol) and reduce cardiovascular disease risk.
* Herbs
* Hawthorn - Used extensively by doctors in Europe, hawthorn benefits the circulatory system and can decrease the need for pharmaceutical medication It is reported to regulate both high and low blood pressure.
* Garlic - Reported to lower total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and increase "good" cholesterol (HDL), garlic is used to prevent strokes and heart attacks. An antioxidant, it is believed to be beneficial in preventing stroke and arteriosclerosis. Since cooking may reduce its benefits, garlic is best taken raw or as a supplement.
* Psyllium Seed - The FDA has approved psyllium to reduce cardiovascular disease risk. Its high levels of soluble fiber help lower cholesterol.
* Grape Seed Extract - Despite a fairly rich diet, French people have fewer heart attacks, perhaps because they drink red wine every day. But the secret of red wine is probably not the alcohol. More likely it's the antioxidant powers of the seed and skin of the grape. Grape Seed Extract is used to prevent and treat circulatory disorders.

if any of you have anything that you want to add please do!
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[Mr Oz]

keeping this at the top!! good info!!

anyone know where to get cheap CO Q10? its probably the most exy of them all there

[ricphoenix]

These types of articles are good in that they help us optimize our "well being" however we need to keep in mind that most of these diseases are genetic and regardless of how well we eat or which supplements we take the best we can do is postpone illness or perhaps improve our quality of life once we become ill.

For example, generally we think of heart disease, diabetes and cancer as something associated with obesity. According to the literature this is the case...but it is also the case that many who are not obese and exercise daily and eat well also suffer from these diseases. Recently, there has been a clear relationship between breast cancer and genes and I suspect they will find this same relationship for men and prostate/testicular cancer. Our nutrition, if of a low quality, may tip the scale in the direction of us getting the disease that we were already predisposed to getting.

[ricphoenix]

Originally Posted by sizematters270

* Beta-1,3 Glucan - The major cholesterol lowering agents in oat bran fiber, beta-1,3 glucans lower total cholesterol and LDL (the"bad"cholesterol) and reduce cardiovascular disease risk.

__________________

...speaking of beta glucan (this used to be my game)

I was part of a research team that looked at how beta glucan and other carbohydrates are accumulated in oats and barley.

Mixed linkage Beta glucan is a non-starch polysaccharide that has implications in a range of health issues such as cholesterol/blood lipid profiles, fat loss and gut health. At the time we were also trying to see if barley beta glucan also had any effect on human athletic performance but I finished my studies and left the lab.

Cereal Chemistry is a very complex and tedious area of study because the seeds are living tissue and the compounds change with respect to the seed environment and time. The chemical properties of the carbohydrate can stay the same but the physical properties ie...how the carbohydrate behaves when used for food or industrial puposes changes dramatically. Waxy barley contains are large quantity of beta glucan; that depending on how it is extracted provides interesting gelling characteristics (all of which benefit you but in different ways).

[Got Bodyripped]

Originally Posted by ricphoenix

...speaking of beta glucan (this used to be my game)

I was part of a research team that looked at how beta glucan and other carbohydrates are accumulated in oats and barley.

Mixed linkage Beta glucan is a non-starch polysaccharide that has implications in a range of health issues such as cholesterol/blood lipid profiles, fat loss and gut health. At the time we were also trying to see if barley beta glucan also had any effect on human athletic performance but I finished my studies and left the lab.

Cereal Chemistry is a very complex and tedious area of study because the seeds are living tissue and the compounds change with respect to the seed environment and time. The chemical properties of the carbohydrate can stay the same but the physical properties ie...how the carbohydrate behaves when used for food or industrial puposes changes dramatically. Waxy barley contains are large quantity of beta glucan; that depending on how it is extracted provides interesting gelling characteristics (all of which benefit you but in different ways).

I first started taking beta Glucan back in late 2003, very good supp.I think alot of bodybuilders dont pay enough attention to the things that might help prevent bad health.Those supps listed above are all very good and are best taken long term, not just when your on a 'cycle'.But like you say ric if its in your genes then thats just the luck of the draw, but even if were unlucky enough to have a condition later in life by following good advice/life style you may be the one who beats the odds.

[disko]

Ascoribic acid (vitamin C) can bring on cardiac arrest lol

[Xanthine]

Lets not forget the 1/4 aspirin / day thing too. Something I swear by

[sonny]

Originally Posted by Xanthine

Lets not forget the 1/4 aspirin / day thing too. Something I swear by

I have wrote too many research papers on CVD (4th year dietetics student)

An anticoagulant (aspirin) is a very good idea if you have already had problems or an episode.

Also do some reading into Plant Sterols and Stanols, there are heaps of studies out there to say they are good by themselves and in combination with statins in lowering cholesterol

Basically they inhibit the uptake of cholesterol by fighting for position with cholesterol

[sonny]

Supplement-wise I guess Flora ProActive or other Sterol fortified margarines/butters. But they are classed as functional foods. I think you can get plant sterols in a tablet but I have not come across them in Australia yet.

[MrAust92]

Originally Posted by Xanthine

Lets not forget the 1/4 aspirin / day thing too. Something I swear by

Agreed Xanth, I use the special 100 mg low dose aspirin, you can get 110 tabs (generic) from the chemist for about $5.

Great thread SM270, I am going to make it a sticky. We need more preventative health discussion on here.

MA92

[Sledge]

Originally Posted by Mr Oz

keeping this at the top!! good info!!

anyone know where to get cheap CO Q10? its probably the most exy of them all there

I get mine from www.1fast400.com

Works out pretty cheap because I order a years worth of vitamins, glucosamine, vit C, etc etc at the same time.

Just have to make sure you only get the legal stuff from there site and if you accidentally include eph or yohimbie or some other evil nasty substance customs will stop the package.

[sizematters270]

Great thread SM270, I am going to make it a sticky. We need more preventative health discussion on here.

MA92[/quote]


good idea mr aust,
guys ile tell you a bit of my little story,
you may think that you are not prone to any health probs because you all eat good,leed a healthy life & regularly exercise even if you use a little bit of aas.
Trust me here we all can never be to carefull when it comes to the heart & related things like blood pressure.
Take it from someone who knows this due to a couple of little scares to do with my heart in the last 6 mths.

Ive been training consistantly for 20 yrs or so im quite heavy always in the high 120's & im very healthy never smoked & only ever have one or two drinks occasionaly,i eat well & i always have,i very rarely get sick from flu or colds etc.

So it came as a shock to me when i decided to get my heart checked as that was the only thing ive never had checked.
my stress test came back irregular (i cant remember the term) but ile say the pushing out part of the heart beat was only working at 35%, hearing that really sat me on my ass.
So along with my bp all over the place aswell i was told this (my doc said he didnt believe my super supps over the yrs was the cause) ive had heaps of follow up tests & im ok but ive got no answer on the cause.
My resting heatbeat was at 116 beats/min so now i have to take betablockers to slow my heart down so it works more efficiently.
ive been instructed to just keep doing everything normally but i 'MUST' do regular cardio.
so no matter how healthy you maybe dont think these problems just happen to people that dont look after themselves.

[Brando]

Ive been taking most of those supps for years,im a supp junkie but good to see im on the right track.

[Xanthine]

guys ile tell you a bit of my little story,
you may think that you are not prone to any health probs because you all eat good,leed a healthy life & regularly exercise even if you use a little bit of aas.
Trust me here we all can never be to carefull when it comes to the heart & related things like blood pressure.
Take it from someone who knows this due to a couple of little scares to do with my heart in the last 6 mths.

Ive been training consistantly for 20 yrs or so im quite heavy always in the high 120's & im very healthy never smoked & only ever have one or two drinks occasionaly,i eat well & i always have,i very rarely get sick from flu or colds etc.

So it came as a shock to me when i decided to get my heart checked as that was the only thing ive never had checked.
my stress test came back irregular (i cant remember the term) but ile say the pushing out part of the heart beat was only working at 35%, hearing that really sat me on my ass.
So along with my bp all over the place aswell i was told this (my doc said he didnt believe my super supps over the yrs was the cause) ive had heaps of follow up tests & im ok but ive got no answer on the cause.
My resting heatbeat was at 116 beats/min so now i have to take betablockers to slow my heart down so it works more efficiently.
ive been instructed to just keep doing everything normally but i 'MUST' do regular cardio.
so no matter how healthy you maybe dont think these problems just happen to people that dont look after themselves.

Fuck it. I'm buying an exercise bike for home. I know myself and it's the only way I'll do cardio ED

[sizematters270]

yes X ive never been one for cardio either but now i dont have a choice.
I feel fitter now but i do notice that if i miss a couple of sessions i start to breath a bit heavy again.

[Goanna]

Im surprised red yeast rice wasnt mentioned. I take Hemp or Flax oil, Garlic and Red Yeast Rice every day along with a good multivitamin for the past 2 years. I take additional Niacin and B12 also.

My BP and cholesterol were pretty high a while back. I went on a stirct low carb diet, and started this supplementation. I went 3 weeks later for more bloodwork and the doc told me my BP, Cholesterol, and Liver Enzymes were all perfect. He was in shock that my levels changed so rapidly.

[sizematters270]

goanna ive done a little reasearch on that red yeast rice & if i remember rightly they said its actions with cholesterol were simalar to the cholesterol lowering drug lipator.
I dont think the benifits of this rice are to widely known atm as i had never heard of it till recently.

[Goanna]

Originally Posted by sizematters270

goanna ive done a little reasearch on that red yeast rice & if i remember rightly they said its actions with cholesterol were simalar to the cholesterol lowering drug lipator.
I dont think the benifits of this rice are to widely known atm as i had never heard of it till recently.

Yeah, it works very well. Supposedly the pharmaceutical companies are looking to get a patent on the active ingredients. I guess they want to be able to control the sale of it, and not have it easily available as an OTC drug.

[a4fkntrippen]

get your cholestrol levels done. sometimes its hereditary and vitimins and minerals isnt going to reduce your cholestrol with a heavy diet. About 80% of cholestrol is produced from your liver so if you have high cholestrol in your family and continue a bodybuilding diet then see your docter for some statin drugs. This helps minimise the production of bad cholestrol from your liver