Published on September 28, 2022
Learn what nutrients can help protect the current and future health of your heart!
Key Points
- Essential nutrients such as magnesium, vitamin D, and omega-3s play a large part in maintaining a healthy heart
- Magnesium deficiency may be contributing to the rise in many health problems, including CVD, with research showing its relationship to conditions such as atrial fibrillation, stroke, high blood pressure and heart failure
- It appears that 20-50% of CVD could be prevented if everyone had an adequate level of vitamin D (40 – 60 ng/ml); vitamin D has been associated with lower blood pressure, reduced risk of arterial stiffness, diabetes and insulin resistance, and maintaining glucose regulation and a healthy lipid profile
Cardiovascular disease (CVD), which includes heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure, is the number one killer of American women and men, and it is a leading cause of serious illness and disability. Essential nutrients such as magnesium, vitamin D, and omega-3s play a large part in maintaining a healthy heart.
There are a number of ways in which each of these nutrients may help prevent CVD – see the links below to learn more!
Magnesium
Over 45% of the US population consumes less than the average daily requirement of magnesium, thus are very likely deficient. This widespread deficiency may be contributing to the rise in many health problems, including CVD, with research showing its relationship to conditions such as atrial fibrillation, stroke, high blood pressure and heart failure. See the articles below for more information on magnesium and heart health.
Magnesium Intake Associated with Lower Risk of Mortality & Cardiovascular Disease
Impact of Magnesium on Cardiovascular Disease
Magnesium May Lower the Risk of Atrial Fibrillation
Risk of Atrial Fibrillation Decreases as Vitamin D and Magnesium Levels Increase
Comparing magnesium supplementation with statin drugs
Daily Magnesium Supplementation Shown to Reduce Arterial Stiffness
FDA Approves Health Claim for Magnesium and High Blood Pressure
Omega-3s
There are over 8,000 research papers available on heart health and omega-3s. Have you ever had your Omega-3 Index tested? If so, was it in the recommended range — or like 85% of our participants who have tested, was it below? Check today if you haven’t yet, and read the articles below for more information on omega-3s and why they are so important to heart health.
Omega-3s EPA and DHA Shown to Have a Significant Protective Effect for Heart Disease
Heart Function Significantly Improved with Omega-3s
Why target an Omega-3 Index of 8-12%?
Higher Omega-3 Index associated with lower mortality
Omega-3s May Prevent High Blood Pressure
Reduced Triglyceride Levels with Omega-3s
Vitamin D
It appears that 20-50% of CVD could be prevented if everyone had an adequate level of vitamin D (40 – 60 ng/ml)! Vitamin D has been associated with lower blood pressure, reduced risk of arterial stiffness, diabetes and insulin resistance, and maintaining glucose regulation and a healthy lipid profile. See the articles below for more on vitamin D and heart health.
Risk of Atrial Fibrillation Decreases as Vitamin D Levels Increase
Low vitamin D and high CRP associated with cardiovascular disease
Peripheral arterial disease associated with low vitamin D
Hypertension risk lower with higher vitamin D status
Make Sure Your Levels of the Above Are Supportive of Your Heart Health
Having and maintaining healthy vitamin D and other nutrient levels can help improve your health now and for your future. Choose which to measure, such as your vitamin D, omega-3s, and essential minerals including magnesium and zinc, by creating your custom home test kit today. Add hs-CRP to measure your level of inflammation as well. Take steps to improve the status of each of these measurements to benefit your overall health. You can also track your own intakes, symptoms and results to see what works best for YOU.
Enroll and test your levels today, learn what steps to take to improve your status of vitamin D (see below) and other nutrients and blood markers, and take action! By enrolling in the GrassrootsHealth projects, you are not only contributing valuable information to everyone, you are also gaining knowledge about how you could improve your own health through measuring and tracking your nutrient status, and educating yourself on how to improve it.
How Can You Use this Information for YOUR Health?
Having and maintaining healthy vitamin D and other nutrient levels can help improve your health now and for your future. Measuring is the only way to make sure you are getting enough!
STEP 1 Order your at-home blood spot test kit to measure vitamin D and other nutrients of concern to you, such as omega-3s, magnesium, essential and toxic elements (zinc, copper, selenium, lead, cadmium, mercury); include hsCRP as a marker of inflammation or HbA1c for blood sugar health
STEP 2 Answer the online questionnaire as part of the GrassrootsHealth study
STEP 3 Using our educational materials and tools (such as our dose calculators), assess your results to determine if you are in your desired target range or if actions should be taken to get there
STEP 4 After 3-6 months of implementing your changes, re-test to see if you have achieved your target level(s)
