Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Heart failure is scary. It happens when your heart cannot pump enough blood and oxygen to function properly. Factors like obesity, diabetes, not exercising and a bad diet can all contribute to it. Here are some lifestyle changes you should focus on.
Coenzyme Q10 is a powerful antioxidant that has been studied in the support of energy production and heart health.
Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey. Ph
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Welcome to part 2 of ‘Why Ubiquinol May Improve Scary Blood Test Results’. If you missed part 1, click here to listen now! We’re continuing our conversation about the active form of coenzymeQ10, called ubiquinol, which lowers the level of various scary results on a blood test that are connected with heart health. When these levels are elevated, they’re scary. When they’re lower, that’s good for the heart, survival, longevity, physical activity and wellness.
Make sure to check out the first part of this episode for more background on ubiquinol and heart health, as well as the first of the 3 blood tests that predict heart health.
More Information on NT-proBNP
As discussed in the first part of this podcast, NT-proBNP is a protein released by cardiomyocytes primarily from the left side of the heart. It helps tell you the health of your heart. NT-proBNP tests are not common in typical blood work, unless there is some sign of heart damage like heart failure or heart attack. Research also indicates that NT-proBNP reflects the youthfulness and strength of your heart muscle. It is continually produced in small quantities by your heart. It is released in larger quantities when the heart senses that it needs to work harder.
A young person’s NT-proBNP level might read at 16, whereas someone who has heart damage might reach a level of 200. It also increases with age as fibrous build up in the heart. Doctors can use NT-proBNP levels to gauge the severity of damage to the heart. They also look to see if the levels increase to check if treatment methods are working.
Ubiquinol may help decrease levels of NT-proBNP. The Division of Cardiology at the University of Minnesota and the Division of Cardiology at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center performed a study published in the journal Annals of Vascular Surgery. In this study, researchers worked with heart surgery patients. The patients were randomly broken up into groups and for three days prior to their surgery, were given either a placebo or a high dosage of coQ10, the inactive form of ubiquinol. The researchers checked their NT-proBNP before the surgery and for two days afterwards to test the impact of the ubiquinol. They found that NT-proBNP levels in the blood dropped as coq10 levels increased.
The last value that can predict heart health is Troponin. This is a group of proteins that help regulate the contractions of the heart and skeletal muscles. Troponin 1 and Troponin T are two variations of the protein that are released by the heart when it is damaged.
A study done by researchers in Northern Italy and published in the journal Aging worked with 50 elderly patients who were receiving surgery for severe aortic valve stenosis. One group of the patients took placebo for a week prior to surgery and for five days post surgery, while the other took ubiquinol for the same amount of time. The researchers found that patients who had taken placebo saw a greater increase in Troponin 1 related to the heart surgery than patients on ubiquinol did. This indicates that the ubiquinol was protecting the heart during valve replacement surgery.
My Heart Health Recommendations
The studies shared in both parts of this podcast indicate that ubiquinol can help decrease levels of hs-CRP, NT-proBNP and Troponin in the body. I recommend it and take it every day. Always take ubiquinol with food and remember that the body absorbs it much better than regular coQ10.†
While ubiquinol is extremely beneficial to anyone with heart damage, it can also be helpful to others. Diabetics can strongly benefit from ubiquinol because they struggle with converting coQ10 into ubiquinol. Aging people could benefit as well, as the body slows ubiquinol creation in your 40s. I usually recommend that people start taking ubiquinol around the age of 55.†
Avoid coQ10 or ubiquinol formulas that contain titanium dioxide. This is a heavy metal that makes shaving creams and paints white. It can damage the lining of your intestines and create leaky gut syndrome.†
Questions about CoQ10? Leave a comment below to join the discussion today!
There are blood tests that you can have added to your yearly physical that may give you rather scary results about your heart health. The good news is there’s a supplement called Ubiquinol that may set them right.
How do you know what supplements are best to support cardiovascular health? And what else should you be doing in terms of diet and exercise? The good news is there are some basic guidelines that I can share with you that may be beneficial.
Superior non-GMO heart health dietary supplements are important for your overall heart wellness. Following a healthy lifestyle, including a healthy diet and regular exercise routine, can make a major difference in cardiovascular health. Here are the top four heart health products recommended by Chief Scientific Officer and Pharmacist, Jerry Hickey, Ph.
Aged Garlic
Aged Garlic, Allium Sativum, is an herb used in ancient medicine, a healthy vegetable, and a potent superfood that has been used traditionally for its vast health benefits. When garlic is aged, some of its health-preserving constituents are augmented, making it more powerful for the immune system without the odor, stomach upset, or gassiness. The aging process converts unstable “allicin” to even more powerful properties. Aged garlic is odorless and richer in health-promoting compounds than fresh garlic or other forms of garlic preparations, more effective in supporting heart health, and more beneficial in protecting the body than other garlic forms.†
One study says Aged Garlic Extract can decrease plaque buildup in the heart. Read more here >>
CoQ10 (Ubiquinol)
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an important energy-releasing nutrient produced naturally in the human body. Traditional CoQ10 (Ubiquinone) may be difficult to absorb, because they must be reduced by the body into their active form before enabling energy production and offering nutritional support. When NADH – a very important nutrient needed to create energy – it helps recycle Ubiquinol to support muscle function and energy.†
In its active form, Ubiquinol allows the calories from food to be absorbed and utilized as energy supporting most of the body’s energy needs. However, many individuals, especially the elderly, have trouble metabolizing traditional CoQ10 into the active Ubiquinol form. A superior CoQ10 Ubiquinol supplement is easily absorbed, allowing the body to produce cellular energy to reap the benefits much more quickly. Research shows that boosting CoQ10 levels supports brain health, heart health, oral health, kidneys, and hearing. It also helps boost muscle function and performance while decreasing fatigue and providing antioxidant protection.†
Beetroot
Beets are a source of many heart health constituents including natural nitrates, reddish-yellow water soluble pigments known as betalains, carotenoids, Trimethylglycine (an important betaine) and fiber; beets are excellent for heart and circulatory health and physical performance.†
Beetroot helps support healthy blood pressure and cardiovascular-circulatory health for many reasons. The reddish-brownish betalains are powerful antioxidants that protect the walls of arteries. Trimethylglycine detoxifies homocysteine; elevated homocysteine is implicated in clogged arteries. The natural nitrates convert to nitric oxide which is responsible for healthy blood flow for heart and circulatory system health and for support during physical activities.†
Tart cherry is a source of purplish-red anthocyanin-pigments that support circulatory and heart health and protect muscle tissue during physical activity. Tart cherry may also help support healthy uric acid levels already within a normal range. Texas A&M recently completed two sports nutrition based human clinical studies focusing on recovery from intense resistance and endurance training. Original CherryPURE®, used in the Texas A&M studies at a dose of 480mg, is a carrier free, freeze-dried powder produced from the skins of Montmorency Tart Cherries.†
Sterols
Plant sterols are healthy fatty components that provide nutritional support for people with cholesterol levels already within normal range and borderline cholesterol. Plant sterols have great benefits for cholesterol support. Research has shown a direct link between consuming plant sterols and lower levels of LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, in the body.†
Oat ß-glucans are a fiber from oat bran that have the ability to bind to cholesterol that is present in foods we consume, thereby escorting some cholesterol out of the body before it can be absorbed. Red Yeast Rice is natural substance extracted from rice that has been fermented with a type of yeast called Monascus purpureus. Red yeast rice naturally has a list of nutrients for borderline cholesterol levels. These include monacolin K, sterols, isoflavones, and good fats called mono-unsaturates. The Proanthocyanidins in Cranberry Fruit Extract may help support circulatory health. Sterols Plus Hx® Powder supplies four herbs that may support cardiovascular health.†