If choosing nutrients for your heart confuses you, you’re not alone. You want to support your blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, and more. But which nutrients will give you the best support? How much should you take? And which nutrients can (or shouldn’t) be taken together?
I get these questions all the time, so I want to share what I consider to be the best core nutrients for heart health. You can certainly put together this combination on your own. Or, to make it easier, I’ve also put them together into one heart health formula. Here’s what I recommend…
Omega-3s, in the Right Form & Amount
You need omega-3 essential fatty acids for heart, brain, eye, and overall health. They’re called essential because your body can’t manufacture them all efficiently, so you need to get them through foods and/or supplements. Eating foods like wild-caught salmon, sardines, and flaxseeds gives you some omega-3s—but to make sure you’re getting enough I also recommend supplementing.
What form should you take? Omega-3s come in several forms: fish oil, krill, and squid—as well as vegetarian sources, like Algal oil (from algae), Sea Buckthorn oil, chia, and flaxseed oil. In choosing, you want to look at the ratio of DHA to EPA omega-3s—that’s critical. After an exhaustive search worldwide and poring through the research, the best source I found is CalaMarine®. It comes from deep-sea squid and it’s naturally richer in DHA omega-3s than ordinary fish oil and contains my ideal ratio of DHA to EPA omega-3s to support your heart health.
What I also like about CalaMarine is it’s a sustainable source of omega-3s and won’t leave you with an aftertaste or fishy burps. In fact, while in Norway the manufacturer handed me a wine glass filled with CalaMarine oil. I was unsure at first, but it smelled slightly citrus and tasted delicious! I sipped it like a fine wine. I couldn’t imagine doing that with fish oil!
Recommended dose: 1,250 mg of CalaMarine daily.
Highly Bioavailable CoQ10 for a Powerful Energy Boost
Every cell in your body contains coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). It resides in the tiny “energy factories” inside your cells, called mitochondria, and sparks the production of ATP, your body’s fuel. Plus, it supports healthy blood pressure, a healthy inflammatory response, insulin sensitivity, and more.*
As you age, your CoQ10 production slows down. Plus, taking cholesterol-lowering statins (as well as many other types of medications) can deplete your CoQ10 supply even more. Supplementing is critical but can also be confusing. CoQ10 comes in two forms, ubiquinol and ubiquinone. Since ubiquinol is the form your body makes naturally, advertisers will tell you it’s the best one to take—and, not surprisingly, it’s also more expensive!
Should you take ubiquinol or ubiquinone? As a cardiologist studying CoQ10 for more than 40 years, I have found that a highly absorbable ubiquinone gives you the exact same benefits for a fraction of the price, making it easier to take a truly therapeutic dose without breaking your wallet.
After much research and laboratory testing, the form I prefer is Hydro Q-Sorb® CoQ10. It’s three times more bioavailable than ordinary CoQ10 powders so it’s easier for your body to absorb. Plus, it’s seven times better absorbed by your cells
Recommended dose: 100 mg CoQ10
Crominex® 3+ to Support Key Heart Markers
Crominex 3+ chromium is one of the most important nutrient discoveries for your heart since CoQ10. This special form of chromium is combined with Amla (Indian gooseberry) and purified shilajit, making it more bioavailable and easier for your body to absorb. Plus, it’s completely safe and isn’t known to oxidize like other forms of chromium can.
In placebo-controlled clinical studies, 400 mcg of Crominex 3+ showed a measurable impact in supporting key heart markers, including CRP, healthy triglycerides, and HDL and LDL cholesterol.* Plus, it helped to improve endothelial function for healthy blood flow and increase nitric oxide production for blood vessel health.
Beyond the heart, Crominex 3+ helps your body to maintain glucose (blood sugar) balance for healthy glycemic control. * Plus, it promotes healthy levels of glutathione, your body’s master antioxidant.
Recommended dose: 400 mcg of Crominex 3+ daily, which is the full research dose.
Trans Resveratrol for Heart Support & Healthy Aging
You may have heard of resveratrol, the powerful antioxidant found in red grapes that supports a healthy heart and healthy aging. It’s the ingredient that gives red wine its heart-healthy reputation, but you’d literally have to drink gallons of wine to get enough. That’s why I recommend a resveratrol supplement.
Isn’t resveratrol hard for the body to absorb? It can be. That’s why I recommend taking trans resveratrol, which is your body’s preferred form. Trans resveratrol gives you support for several important health markers, including CRP, which is a marker of the body’s inflammatory response.* Plus, research has shown taking 30 mg of trans resveratrol supports endothelial function and healthy flow-mediated dilation, which means it supports healthy blood flow.
Recommended dose: 30 mg of trans resveratrol daily.
Highly Bioavailable Turmeric
Turmeric, the bright yellow spice used in Indian cuisine, is known for its inflammatory-balancing effects. But there’s a catch. Turmeric is notoriously difficult for your body to use and absorb—so you need a lot of it to get the full benefits.
But there’s a well-studied, highly bioavailable form called HydroCurc® that utilizes special technology to protect and enhance the absorption of curcuminoids, the active compounds in turmeric. So, it contains a full 80% curcuminoids and is 320% more bioavailable than regular curcumin, giving you excellent antioxidant protection against free-radical stress throughout your body. In fact, this advanced form of turmeric reaches peak blood levels in only 60 minutes and remains in your bloodstream for a full eight hours, which is critical for supporting a healthy inflammatory response.
Recommended dose: 125 mg of HydroCurc turmeric daily.
Heart-Supporting B Vitamins
B vitamins often get lost in the shuffle—but they’re essential for good health. They assist enzymes throughout your body, enabling them to produce energy from the foods you eat and transport nutrients and oxygen to cells throughout your body. Without adequate intake of B vitamins, your cellular energy would suffer.
Plus, vitamins B6, B12, and B9 (folate) play roles in key aspects of heart health, which includes supporting healthy arteries, homocysteine levels, as well as brain health!
Recommended dose: 30 mg of B6, 500 mcg of B12, and 667 mcg DFE folate (400 mcg folic acid).
The Best Way to Get These Heart Nutrients
These are the core nutrients I recommend taking to support your heart, blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and CRP levels—as well as healthy aging. They also give your cells the energy support they need. When people take them together, they not only feel a difference but see a difference at their heart checkups.
So, what is the best way to take them? You can certainly use this as a guide and put together your own nutrient combination based on my recommendations. Or, to make it easier for you, I’ve included all of them in my Omega Q Plus® MAX formula. In just two softgels a day, you get all of these nutrients at a fraction of the cost of purchasing each ingredient on its own. These are the same nutrients I take every day and highly recommend to you.
*Healthy support for levels already within the normal range.
