Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Purples Hx and the Heart! Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND I wanted to take the time to talk about one of the most under rated products at Invite health. What product is this you ask? Why its Purples Hx! Purples Hx is an amazing combination …
Mitral Valve Prolapse Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Our next topic is one that will draw heavily upon the anatomy blog that I wrote a while ago. This topic is mitral valve prolapse (MVP). Do you recall how the heart was divided into left and …
Omega 3s and the Heart!
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Omega 3s are something that everyone has heard of. In fact many nutritionists including myself consider them to be essential to a healthy daily vitamin regimen. But many people I talk to ask a few simple questions and the first is usually why they are so important to our health? What are they and where do they come from? And just how do they help keep the heart healthy? Before I start to answer these questions I want to remind everyone that omega 3s are much more than just a heart supplement. In fact in our series on joints omega 3s were a frequent recommendation.
Let’s start with the simple question of why omegas 3s are so important. Well to start off they are very versatile in what they can be used to help with. Then there is the simple fact that the standard American diet is typically very low in omegas 3s. In fact studies have found that over 2/3s of US adults and 95% of US children do not consume enough omega 3s to meet their nutritional needs based on US dietary guidelines. (1) What this means is that most people are not getting enough omega 3s in their diet and can benefit from a supplement. But just what are omega 3s? They are a type of fat consisting of ALA, DHA and EPA. These fats are considered to be essential in our diet because they are essential for certain functions in our body and are important to keep us healthy yet they can’t be made by the body itself. In other words they can only be obtained by getting them in our diet. (2) Omega 3s are typically found in fish and other seafood. They are also found in nuts and seeds. Lastly certain fortified foods contain omega 3s. (3) Fish Oil, Krill Oil Advanced and Flax Seed are all supplements that contain omega 3s.
Everyone knows that omega 3s are good for our cholesterol. According to the Mayo clinic there is strong evidence that omega 3s reduce triglyceride levels in the blood. Additionally according to the Mayo clinic omega 3s can improve HDL or the good cholesterol. (4) Studies have found that omega 3s can help to lower triglycerides by between 25-34%. (5) Even for people with very high triglycerides studies have found that omega 3s can help to lower them. (6) Overall studies have concluded that omega 3s are helpful for triglycerides. (7) Due to the fact studies have found that omega 3s are helpful for both HDL and triglycerides I personally always recommend them for helping with cholesterol concerns.
In addition to helping with cholesterol studies have found that omega 3s can help to reduce the risk of blood clots. This appears to be due to the fact that omega 3s can affect platelet activity causing them to be less reactive. (8) This is important because blood clots can have series consequences. Omega 3s such as fish oil have also been found to be helpful when dealing with arrhythmias. According to Harvard those with a higher than average omega 3 level in their blood were approximately 30% less likely than those with low levels to develop AFib. (9)
Omega 3s have also been found in studies to help with blood pressure. According to the Mayo clinic omega 3s are very helpful for those with moderate to severe high blood pressure. (10) According to a study by the Cleveland heart lab omega 3s were able to help those with hypertension to either lower their medication or in some cases even avoid having to take medication at all. (11)
Omega 3s have also been found in studies to help patients with coronary heart disease. Other studies have found that omega 3s have a beneficial effect on the risks of having cardiovascular death, heart attack and even coronary artery disease. (12)
Overall in my clinical experience I find that omega 3s are an amazing supplement to add on to any protocol for heart health. Now one concern that comes up frequently when I discuss omegas is the smell and taste. A handy tip that works for me personally is to always refrigerate your omegas and take them with food. While they don’t technically need to be kept this way I find that this way prevents any odor.
In our next blog we will be talking about Mitral Valve Prolapse or MVP!
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The Confusing World of Heart Arrhythmias Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Arrhythmia is a word that you may have heard of but may not know what it means. So what exactly is an arrhythmia? Basically an arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat. In general we can …
COCOA HX: THE DELICIOUS SUPERFOOD By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT When it comes to enjoying something indulgent and decadent, the first thing that comes to mind for most people is CHOCOLATE. It’s comforting as it takes us back to our childhood and brings …
The Benefits of Beets Hx
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Everyone has heard about beets. Beet powder, beet chews and even beet juice! It’s everywhere you look! But what really are the benefits of using beet supplements? Why is the tart cherry in the Beets Hx? And perhaps most interesting of all questions is why use a powder and not the pills or chews that are available?
Beets are amazing for our heart health. Beets are high in a compound known as nitrates. (1) What this means is that according to studies beets are able to increase nitric oxide in the body. By increasing nitric oxide studies have found that beet root can significantly decrease both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. This is important since high blood pressure is a risk factor for many heart conditions. In addition to nitrates beets contain antioxidants that studies have found to be useful in fighting against atherosclerosis, which as we know is another risk factor for many heart related conditions. (2) Studies have also found that nitric oxide may improve cardiovascular health especially in older adults. While more research on this topic is needed what has been done so far is promising to say the least. (3) Studies have also found that the nitric oxide released from beets can help with lowering blood pressure in those with kidney disease. (4) Other studies have found that the nitric oxide in beets can help with the heart’s performance during exercise. (5) Lastly the nitric oxide in beets has been found in studies to help heart health in those with heart failure. (6) As you can see the nitric oxide in beets is very beneficial to our heart health.
Let’s move on for a moment from nitric oxide. In addition to the nitric oxide in beets there are antioxidants. Studies have found that the antioxidants in beets have anti-inflammatory properties that help decrease risk factors for cardiovascular disease. (1) One antioxidant found in beets that is currently being studied is a type called betalain. These have been found to help keep LDL from being oxidized. (7) It has also been found to lower the LDL as well as blood pressure. (8)
While it has been interesting to break down beets into their parts let’s take a look at some studies on just beets. Studies have found that using beets may help to lower blood pressure. (9) Studies have found beets to help lower cholesterol levels. (10) According to the Cleveland clinic beets are amazing for helping with high blood pressure and for those with heart disease. (11)
Beets Hx also includes tart cherry as well as the beetroot. Now I know what you’re thinking – tart cherry isn’t that for joints? Well yes it is! However studies have also found that tart cherry is good at helping to lower blood pressure as well as cholesterol. (12) Other studies indicate that tart cherry can help with blood pressure and cholesterol especially in older adults. (13) WebMD agrees that tart cherry is a great supplement that can help increase circulation as well as decrease inflammation, both of which are risk factors for many chronic heart conditions. (14)
Now I know I normally don’t take the time to talk about powders or pills but I wanted to do it in this blog in particular because beet supplements are currently so popular. Just watching a few minutes of TV will show you how many different delivery methods are available for beet supplements. So why a powder instead of a pill? Well for one there’s a limit to how much you can fit in a pill and still be able to swallow it. For many things that we take this is fine. However for some nutrients such as beets or whey protein you would have to take an inconvenient number of pills in order to get a therapeutic dose. Additionally, with powders they absorb right away thus they go to work very fast. (15) How about those gummies? Well to start with I want to ask a question. Do you think glorified candy is a good way to take any supplements? I personally prefer supplements that don’t double as candy. Many chewables have added ingredients such as sugar to “make it taste yummy”. That is one problem. The other problem is similar to pills in that there’s a limit to how much of a supplement you can fit. Just like with pills it’s just not reasonable to take enough to get a therapeutic dose. When you compare just these qualities of powders compared to chewables and pills it’s easy to understand why Invite uses a powder form for its beets. How can you use Beets Hx you might be asking yourself? Can I mix it in a smoothie? Absolutely yes! For heart health I recommend a smoothie with 1 scoop beets, 1 scoop Ribose Complex, 1 scoop of Whey or Plant protein and water or milk of choice. Another great choice is to make a smoothie with 1 scoop Beets Hx, 2 scoops of Cocoa Hx with 1 scoop protein and water or milk of choice. Beets Hx can also be mixed into yogurt or even applesauce. And don’t forget Beets Hx can be easily added to water.
Overall Beets Hx is a fantastic product for our heart health. It is one of those products that I frequently recommend for heart health.
Our next topic will be arrhythmia’s including atrial fibrillation and tachycardia!
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