In honor of American Heart Health Month, February, let’s discuss some important amino acids and antioxidants that Naturopathic Doctor’s use for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease.
What is an amino acid?
When you eat protein, they are broken down into amino acids. These amino acids play critical roles in our bodies. They are vital in making hormones, building muscles, regulating our immune system, and making our neurotransmitters, just to name a few.
What is an antioxidant?
We also get antioxidants through our food or through supplementation. Antioxidants are part of our defense system in our bodies. They help fight free radicals which can wreak havoc on many systems in our body but especially our cardiovascular system. This is why, for example, smoking is a risk factor in developing cardiovascular disease. Inhaling smoke is full of free radicals, and it’s our antioxidants that come and battle the inhaled toxins to prevent damage to our tissues.
Some favorite AMINO ACIDS Naturopathic Doctor’s use for cardiovascular diseases
Taurine
Taurine is an amino acid that is naturally produced in our bodies and favors areas like our eyes, brains, heart and muscles. The main source of taurine is in animal foods like meat, dairy and fish.
Research has shown taurine to slow the progression of plaque formation in the arteries (atherosclerosis). In addition, taurine aids in reducing hypertension by improving blood flow in the vessels as well as minimizing impulses in the brain that increases blood pressure. Lastly, taurine helps increase the force and effectiveness of heart contractions, and has been shown to help with congestive heart failure. Most doctors suggest taking 2 grams 3x/day.
L-carnitine
L-carnitine is an amino acid that can be produced in the body. It is essential for transporting fatty acids into our cells to process for energy. 98% of our carnitine is used in our muscles, and therefore is a very important amino acid for cardiovascular disease since the heart is plain and simply…a muscle.
Several studies using 2 grams/day of L-carnitine showed an improvement in heart function and a reduction in symptoms of angina. In addition, patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) have insufficient oxygenation of the heart, which can damage the heart muscle. Supplementing with 2 grams of L-carnitine daily has been shown to improve ventricular contractions and cardiac output for CHF patients. Lastly, 2 grams per day showed to significantly decrease systolic as well as diastolic blood pressure readings for hypertensive patients.
Some favorite ANTIOXIDANTS Naturopathic Doctor’s use for cardiovascular diseases
Vitamin C
Vitamin C, also known as L-ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in some foods, added to others, and available as a dietary supplement. Humans, unlike most animals, are unable to synthesize vitamin C endogenously, so it is an essential dietary component. Foods high in vitamin C include broccoli, cantaloupe, cauliflower, kale, kiwi, orange juice, papaya, red, green or yellow pepper, sweet potato, strawberries, and tomatoes.
Research has shown vitamin C to protect your cholesterol, specifically LDL, from damage. Vitamin C has been shown to decrease the oxidation of the cholesterol therefore reducing plaque formation. In other clinical trials, vitamin C has been shown to decrease high cholesterol levels. Doctors sometimes recommend 1 gram per day of vitamin C.
Selenium
Selenium is found naturally in many foods. The amount of selenium in plant foods depends on the amount of selenium in the soil where they were grown. The amount of selenium in animal products depends on the selenium content of the foods that the animals ate. There are debates whether our soil is being depleted in selenium. A common supplemental dose of selenium is 200mcg/day.
Some studies show that people with lower blood levels of selenium have a higher risk of heart disease. In an analysis of 25 observational studies, a 50% increase in blood selenium levels was associated with a 24% reduction in the risk of heart disease. Additionally, selenium has been shown to lower markers of inflammation in your body, one of the main risk factors for heart disease. For example, a review of 16 controlled studies including over 433,000 people with heart disease showed that taking selenium supplements decreased levels of the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP).
Coenzyme Q10
CoQ10 is an essential cofactor for energy production and is also a powerful antioxidant. Our body produces CoQ10 naturally, but its production tends to decrease with age. After the age of 30, your natural levels of CoQ10 begin to diminish. And by age 70, your natural CoQ10 levels may be 50% lower than they were when you were a young adult! Indicating supplementation with CoQ10 is essential as we age. The standard dose of CoQ10 ranges from 60 mg to 200 mg per day.
There are many studies indicating the importance of CoQ10 and the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. It seems that treatment with CoQ10 assists with restoring optimal levels of energy production, reduces oxidative damage and improves heart function, all of which can aid in the treatment of heart disease.
If you are a statin user (Lipitor, etc) it’s imperative that you supplement with CoQ10. It is widely know that statins inhibit cholesterol synthesis well as inhibiting the synthesis of CoQ10. A Columbia University study found that within 30 days of using statin medications, your levels of CoQ10 can be decreased by half.
These are just a few tools Naturopathic Doctor’s have in their tool box to help prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases. If you are on any medications you should talk to your Primary Care Doctor or your Naturopathic Doctor before taking.
References
Taurine
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31560859
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21076292
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23224908
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23722414
L-Carnitine
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31481697
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19620516
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28497060
Vitamin C
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19451807
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1962556
Selenium
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9430262
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17023702
CoQ10
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17608895
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15210526
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25282031
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26512330
About the author
Since 2005, Dr Fey has helped women, men, and children find real solutions to their health concerns. She truly believes that giving the proper care and nutrients your body has an amazing ability to heal. She is committed to finding the root cause of illness by utilizing a whole body approach not just focusing solely on presenting symptoms.
Dr. Amanda Fey is the owner and practicing Naturopathic Doctor at Complementary Medicine & Healing Arts, the Southern Tiers Center for Natural Healthcare located in the Binghamton NY area. The office website is www.naturallywell.us. To contact the office call 607-729-0591 or email cmhahealth@gmail.com.