Cardiovascular disease is the #1 Killer of Americans. About one-third of the deaths worldwide are caused by a heart or stroke-related disease. Several years ago, I wrote my first book, “4 Pillars of Health: Heart Disease,” and covered even more: the statistics about the disease and its causes. Today, I want to share five essential supplements I believe are critical for all of us to consider daily to help prevent or possibly treat this horrible disease.
Before I get into these five supplements, though, I would love to share the risk factors that are uncontrollable and controllable. Uncontrollable risk factors are those you have absolutely no control over, such as gender, age, family history, and race. Controllable risk factors are things you can change, such as smoking, activity level, cholesterol, hypertension, and weight.
Uncontrollable Risk Factors
- Gender
- Age
- Family History
- Race
- Post-menopausal
Controllable Risk Factors
- Smoking
- Physical inactivity
- Being Overweight
- Abnormal blood fats (Cholesterol/triglycerides)
- High Blood Sugar
- Metabolic Syndrome
- Stress
- Medication use
- Salt/Sodium use
- Homocysteine levels
- C-Reactive Protein (CRP)
To address cardiovascular health, we must focus our efforts on the areas we can control. First, we must make extreme efforts to minimize the risk factors in our control. After that, there isn’t much else you can do.
Heart-health science has moved beyond only checking total cholesterol. Today, doctors and researchers look at cardiometabolic health, which means how well your heart, blood vessels, blood sugar, blood pressure, and fats in the blood work together. To protect your heart, it helps to support several areas: endothelial health, which means keeping the thin inner lining of your blood vessels working well; arterial flexibility, which means helping arteries stay soft and able to expand instead of becoming stiff; mitochondrial energy, which means helping the tiny “power plants” inside your cells make energy for the heart; blood viscosity, which means how thick or thin your blood is and how easily it flows; and lipids, which are fats in the blood, such as cholesterol and triglycerides. In other words, heart health is not just about how much cholesterol you have, but also about the quality of those blood fats and how well your circulation, energy production, and blood vessels are functioning.
Incorporating clinical-grade, targeted nutraceuticals addresses these fundamental mechanisms directly. Here are my personal favorites and part of my daily supplement program:
AquaCelle® Omega-3 (EPA & DHA): Supporting Healthy Blood Fats and Flexible Cells
Omega-3s are healthy fats commonly found in fish oil. EPA and DHA are the two main omega-3 fats most often linked with heart health. They help support healthy triglyceride levels and help the body manage normal inflammation. Irritation and swelling are part of the body’s repair process, but when it stays too high for too long, it can put stress on the heart and blood vessels.
- How it works:EPA and DHA become part of the outer covering of cells, including heart and blood vessel cells. This helps cells stay flexible and communicate better. These omega-3 fats also help the liver manage triglycerides, which are fats in the blood that can rise when the body has more fuel than it needs.
- Heart-health benefit:Omega-3s may help support healthy triglyceride levels, healthier blood vessel function, and a more balanced response to everyday stress inside the body. This makes them an important foundation for long-term heart support.
Bergavit®: Helping Support Healthy Blood Fats and Blood Sugar
Citrus bergamot is a fruit from Italy that contains natural plant compounds that may help support heart health. Bergavit® is a special extract made from citrus bergamot. It is used to help support healthier levels of blood fats, such as cholesterol and triglycerides. Triglycerides are a type of fat found in the blood that can become a concern when levels are too high. Bergavit® may also help support how the body handles blood sugar, which is important because blood sugar, weight, cholesterol, and blood pressure are all connected to heart health.
- How it works:Bergavit® helps support the liver, which is the organ that makes and manages much of the cholesterol in the body. It also helps support the body’s natural energy and blood sugar control system. In simple terms, it may help the body process fats and sugars in a healthier way.
- Heart-health benefit:Bergavit® may help support healthy LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar levels. LDL is often called “bad cholesterol” because too much of it can contribute to buildup in the arteries. By supporting healthier blood fats and blood sugar, Bergavit® may help reduce strain on the heart and blood vessels.
Kaneka Ubiquinol®: Helping the Heart Make Energy and Protect Itself
CoQ10 is a nutrient your body uses to help make energy inside your cells. The heart needs a lot of energy because it works nonstop, beating around 100,000 times each day. Kaneka Ubiquinol® is the active form of CoQ10, meaning it is already in a form the body can use easily. Kaneka Ubiquinol® is included to help support the heart’s energy needs, especially as the body’s natural CoQ10 levels may decline with age.
- How it works:Ubiquinol helps the tiny energy makers inside your cells turn food and oxygen into usable energy. These energy makers are especially important in heart cells because the heart is always working. Ubiquinol also helps protect fats in the blood and the lining of blood vessels from everyday wear and tear caused by stress inside the body.
- Heart-health benefit:By supporting better energy production in heart cells, Ubiquinol may help the heart work more efficiently. It may also help support healthy blood vessel function and physical stamina, especially in people whose CoQ10 levels are lower because of age or certain medications.
NSK-SD® (Nattokinase): Helping Blood Flow Smoothly
Healthy blood flow is important because blood carries oxygen and nutrients to every part of the body. NSK-SD® is a purified form of nattokinase, an enzyme that comes from natto, a traditional fermented soybean food. An enzyme is a substance that helps certain processes happen in the body. NSK-SD® is made without Vitamin K2, which is important for people who need to be careful with blood-thinning medications or clotting balance.
- How it works:Nattokinase helps the body break down extra fibrin. Fibrin is a sticky protein the body uses to form clots when you are injured. That clotting process is helpful when you need to stop bleeding, but too much fibrin can make blood flow less smoothly. Nattokinase supports the body’s normal cleanup process so blood can move more freely.
- Heart-health benefit:By supporting smoother blood flow, NSK-SD® may help circulation throughout the body, including smaller blood vessels in the hands, feet, and other areas. The goal is not to stop normal clotting, but to help the body maintain balanced, healthy blood flow.
Vitamin K2 (Menaquinone-7): Helping Calcium Go Where It Belongs
Calcium is important for strong bones and teeth, but it can become a problem if too much ends up in places like the arteries. Arteries are the blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. Vitamin K2, especially the MK-7 form, helps the body use calcium properly. A simple way to think about it is this: Vitamin K2 helps “direct traffic,” guiding calcium toward the bones and helping keep it away from the blood vessels.
- How it works:Vitamin K2 turns on a protective protein in the body that helps keep calcium from settling in the artery walls. When calcium builds up in arteries, they can become harder and less flexible. MK-7 is a form of Vitamin K2 that stays active in the body longer, which may make it especially useful for ongoing support.
- Heart-health benefit:By helping calcium stay in the right places, Vitamin K2 may support more flexible arteries and healthier blood flow. Flexible arteries make it easier for the heart to pump blood through the body.
My Personal Cardiovascular Protocol
Integrating these five heavyweights into a cohesive daily routine provides broad, multi-pathway protection across every layer of the cardiovascular system:
The Bottom Line
Heart health is about more than cholesterol alone. Blood pressure, blood sugar, weight, smoking, activity level, stress, and family history all matter. Some risks cannot be changed, such as age and family background, but many daily habits can be improved to help protect the heart.
A complete heart-health plan should support healthy blood fats, steady blood sugar, flexible blood vessels, smooth circulation, and strong energy production in heart cells. Blood fats include cholesterol and triglycerides, which are fats that travel through the bloodstream and can strain blood vessels when levels are too high.
Good circulation helps carry oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. Flexible blood vessels make it easier for the heart to pump blood, while steady cell energy helps the heart keep working efficiently every day.
It is also important for the body to use calcium properly. Calcium should mainly support bones and teeth, not collect in artery walls. Blood should also flow smoothly while still clotting normally when the body needs to stop bleeding.
Overall, the goal is to support the heart from several angles: improve controllable risks, maintain healthy blood fats and blood sugar, keep blood vessels flexible, support heart-cell energy, and encourage smooth circulation for long-term heart health.
Additional Suggestions
If it wasn’t obvious, the supplements listed above are part of my daily supplement program. Each offers unique benefits for cardiovascular health, and I feel I can’t do without them. Stepping back for a moment, I highly recommend getting a few tests done to ensure you are reaping your supplements’ benefits. One is the Omega-3 Index test. Just taking omega-3s doesn’t mean you are taking enough. Getting your score will help you adjust the amount you take to ensure you get the benefits you seek. (My last score was 11.1!!) Another test is called a calcium score. This test measures the mineral deposits in your heart. Since K2 and nattokinase play roles in this area, getting this score can give you more insight into your current heart health and a gauge for future testing. The last test is for CRP (C-reactive protein). CRP is an excellent indicator of inflammation in your bloodstream. Omega-3 and ubiquinol can play a huge role in decreasing this compound, which is naturally produced by the body. Elevated CRP means you have a lot of inflammation in your bloodstream, which can lead to more severe issues in the future.