There are a lot of vitamins on the market that say they are good for your heart. So it’s not surprising that people want to know if they should start taking them or if they should stick with their usual multivitamin.
But there isn’t much evidence that taking vitamin supplements protects your heart for many of the ones that say they do.
Leslie Cho, MD, a preventive cardiologist, talks about the most common heart health claims and the best way to keep your heart healthy.
Are there vitamins that are good for the heart?
Some vitamins or supplements may help lower cholesterol or improve blood pressure, which are both things that can cause heart disease. However, Dr Cho says that many claims about heart health may not be true.
“Supplement makers do a good job of selling the idea of health in general, but so-called heart health vitamins have not been tested for their effectiveness,” says Dr Cho.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn’t test even multivitamins that have been made for heart health or other conditions (FDA).
If you want to start taking vitamins or supplements for any reason, you should always talk to your doctor first. Some vitamins may not be bad for you, but some may affect how your heart works.
Vitamin C, for example, might not hurt your heart, and you can take it to help your health in other ways. It doesn’t do anything good for the health of your heart, though.
On the other hand, you should know that vitamin E can make some people more likely to have heart failure or a stroke. “Patients who are being treated by a doctor for heart-related health problems should not take vitamin E,” says Dr Cho.
It has also been shown that taking vitamin D with calcium could have some risks. Dr Cho says that supplementation should only be thought about by people with very low levels.
In some situations, other kinds of supplements, like those made with animal thyroid, could also be dangerous. They can cause side effects like a fast heartbeat, high blood pressure, or more bleeding when taken with heart medicines.
Dr Cho says, “Don’t take chances with your heart, and talk to your doctor about anything you want to put in your body.”
The most common “heart health” vitamins
You might have read that these vitamins or supplements are good for your heart. What we know is as follows.
Oil from fish
So far, only large amounts of fish oil that you get from a doctor may help your heart.
However, fish oil may make people with atrial fibrillation more likely to get more atrial fibrillation. Also, it can make you bleed more.
Dr Cho says people shouldn’t take fish oil unless their doctor tells them to for another reason.
Magnesium
Many of us get enough magnesium every day by eating foods like spinach, nuts, and avocados.
But if you don’t get enough magnesium, you might feel numb and tingly, have personality changes, have an irregular heartbeat, or have seizures.
It’s important to talk to your doctor if you feel tired or have muscle spasms, weakness, or stiffness. Your doctor will check the levels of calcium and potassium in your blood or do a blood test to figure out what’s wrong.
But if your magnesium levels are normal, taking a magnesium supplement hasn’t been shown to help your heart health.
Folic acid
Folic acid, which is one of the B vitamins, may help lower homocysteine levels, which can cause arteries to harden.
Folic acid may help prevent heart attacks and strokes, but different studies have come to different conclusions.
Folic acid supplements aren’t necessary for most of us. Instead, eat foods like spinach, asparagus, and whole grains that are high in folate.
CoQ10
The coenzyme, which is also called ubiquinone and ubiquinol, may be linked to damage to muscles.
Some people also say that CoQ10 may help people with statin-associated myopathy syndrome (SAMS) and congestive heart failure, but research has shown otherwise.
In a study on people with congestive heart failure, those who took 100 micrograms a day had fewer serious heart problems than those who took a placebo.
Fiber
You should try to get most of your fibre from foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes. But you can take supplements to help you get your daily dose.
“Bad” LDL cholesterol goes down when you eat fibre, while “good” HDL cholesterol goes up.
Rice with yeast
Red yeast rice is a type of fermented rice that has been used in Chinese medicine for hundreds of years.
The rice is made of a chemical called monacolin K, which is also found in a drug called lovastatin that is used to lower cholesterol.
But Dr Cho says you should talk to your doctor about the benefits of red yeast rice because some of the side effects are liver problems, bloating, gas, and stomach pain.
How can I get the most vitamins?
Even though research on vitamins and supplements made for heart health has been mixed, there is still good news for people who want to take care of their hearts.
Eating heart-healthy foods like fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, along with other things like fibre and water, gives you the nutrients you need for healthy heart function, which are also important for your overall health.
“The best way to take care of your heart is still to eat well and work out regularly,” says Dr Cho.