Cardio 360® - Cardiovascular Nutrients

Beta Carotene

In addition to the numerous studies on beta-carotene's effectiveness for heart disease and cancer, researchers have been exploring the nutrient's potential for treating chronic fatigue syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, fibromyalgia, male infertility, and psoriasis. Interestingly, low levels of beta-carotene and other antioxidants have been linked to the development of cataracts, a clouding of the eye's lens that impairs vision.

Beta-carotene may have a role to play in staving off heart disease, apparently a function of its ability to keep harmful LDL cholesterol from damaging the heart and coronary arteries. In a preliminary study done in 1982 of more than 300 doctors taking part in the Harvard University Physicians' Health Study, researchers found that ingesting 50 mg (85,000 IU) of beta-carotene daily cut in half the subsequent risk of risk of heart attack or stroke, or death from cardiovascular disease.

Interestingly, in a follow-up to the Harvard study published in 2001 and involving more than 15,000 male physicians, investigators found that a high intake of vegetables rich in beta-carotene made a big difference on heart health. Participants who consumed at least two and a half servings of vegetables a day over the 12-year study were far less likely to develop coronary heart disease than those who consumed less than one vegetable serving a day.

Vitamin C

When a crack develops in a blood vessel wall due to a shortage of C ascorbate, certain fat packages in the blood have the ability to plug the leak by forming a kind of plaster cast. These packages of fat are known as cholesterol, lipids, low density lipoproteins (LDL or “bad cholesterol”), and one especially effective leak plugger, lipoprotein(a), a special type of LDL.

LDL is a bag of several thousand cholesterol and other fat molecules with the bag itself made of protein. In itself, despite all the hype in the media, ordinary LDL is no problem. However, there is one type of LDL, namely lipoprotein(a) which has an extra protein cover on the outside of the usual protein cover. Lipoprotein(a) is a double bag of fat. This outer bag is called apoprotein(a) or apo(a). The "a" could well stand for adhesive, because it is a very sticky substance. When a crack develops in the wall of a blood vessel, this sticky double-bagged fat sack finds its way through the crack. Once there, the apo(a) adhesive outer bag glues it down and begins the process of plugging the leak. This both avoids death by scurvy and sets the stage for blood vessel disease.

Once having plugged the leak the apo(a) outer bag sticks to whatever other bags of cholesterol (i.e. LDL) float by and glues them down as well. The process looks like the following:

1. The scorbutic (C ascorbate deficient) crack in the blood vessel wall is the first step in atherosclerosis.
2. The plugging of the leak with lipoprotein(a) is the second step.
3. The gluing down of other LDL (single layer bags of cholesterol and lipids which are not sticky in themselves) is the third step.
4. The fourth step is the stimulation, by lipoprotein(a), of the muscle cells in the artery wall to multiply, thus forming a tumor (swelling).
5. Then the cleanup crew arrives, also known as macrophages, and they try to eat the whole mess and carry it away. However, many of them overeat, get fat, and become part of the problem by dying and being glued down into the plaque. Because they contain so much fat, they appear under the microscope to be full of foam, and they are therefore known as "foam cells."

The tumor, i.e., the proliferation of excess smooth muscle cells is not cancerous. Nevertheless, it can cause death by pushing this mass of plaque into the lumen (passage way) of the blood vessel in which this process is happening. This narrows the passage way through which blood passes and can eventually lead to heart attack, stroke and other problems, depending on where in the body it develops.

All The Known Actions of Ascorbate

1. Increases HDL (high density lipoprotein or “good cholesterol”) production.
2. Decreases the production of lipoprotein(a). (Somehow the liver knows when there is plenty of ascorbate on board, and therefore no need for high levels of lipoprotein(a) which is, after all, a repair factor for the cracks in blood vessel walls which come up in the absence of sufficient ascorbate.)
3. Down-regulates cholesterol and triglyceride production in the liver. Lowers blood sugar and insulin requirements.
4. By relaxing the blood vessel walls, lowers blood pressure when hypertension is present. 
5. Inhibits inappropriate intravascular clot formation (the final and sometimes deadly event in cases of heart attacks and strokes).

The bottom line is that lipoprotein(a) is the real risk factor in cardiovascular disease and that ascorbate and niacin are major lines of defense against high levels of lipoprotein(a). Cholesterol, even LDL cholesterol, can serve as a statistical risk factor only to the degree that it is correlated with the level of the real problem: the special type of LDL called lipoprotein(a).

The best test, by far, for risk of cardiovascular disease is the direct measurement of this special type of LDL, namely a lipoprotein(a) level. A lipoprotein(a) level is ten times more accurate and specific for prediction of vascular disease.

Even Linus Pauling discussed vitamin C's connection with lipoprotein-a, a substance whose levels in the blood have been linked to cardiovascular disease.

Pauling is convinced that doses of vitamin C can help prevent the onset of cardiovascular disease, inhibiting the formation of disease-promoting lesions on blood vessel walls and perhaps decreasing the production of lipoprotein-a in the blood. Vitamin C's link to healthy blood vessels, Pauling said, is further supported by studies of scurvy, the disease caused by vitamin C deficiency. Fifty percent of patients who die of scurvy do so because of ruptured blood vessels.

Now you know why it is so important to take Vitamin C!

L-Carnitine

L-Carnitine is integral to a healthy cardiovascular system because it transports the fatty acids to the inner mitochondrial membrane where the fatty acids are burned as fuel. This energy, in turn, allows your body to support healthy immune function, supply more oxygen to the heart, and improve overall well being.

Although L-Carnitine is found naturally in many sources of protein, including mutton, lamb, beef, and pork, supplementing this important nutrient helps guarantee enough of this amino acid.

L-carnitine’s actions appear to be particularly important in the heart. As an example, patients with diabetes and high blood pressure were given 4 grams of L-carnitine per day in a preliminary study.  After 45 weeks, irregular heartbeat and abnormal heart functioning decreased significantly compared with nonsupplemented patients. For CHF (congestive heart failure), one double-blind trial, using 500 mg per day led to a 26% increase in exercise capacity after six months.  In other research, patients with congestive heart failure given 1.5 grams daily for 15 days had a 21% increase in exercise tolerance and a 45% increase in oxygen consumption.

Garlic Extract

We’ve known for a long time that garlic provides many benefits to the cardiovascular system.  Garlic is a natural aspirin, causing natural thinning of your blood and helps every aspect of blood flow in the body.  But unlike aspirin, it won’t hurt your stomach.

Garlic also helps to get rid of the LDL or bad cholesterol.

In fact, in parts of Europe garlic supplements are considered drugs used for the treatment of heart disease and are only available by prescription from a medical doctor.

In a placebo-controlled double-blind trial of 23 subjects with coronary artery disease who had 1 to 3 major coronary arteries that were 75% blocked or higher, 300 mg of garlic powder, 2 and 4 hours after a single dose, showed the atherogenicity of the patients’ serum to be markedly decreased.

The ability of LDL (“bad cholesterol”) to induce intracellular cholesterol accumulation was decreased by 38%. The ability of LDL to stimulate proliferation of cultured cells was also decreased as a result of long-term therapy with garlic.

Citrus Bioflavinoids

Researchers believe that bioflavonoids help maintain capillaries. Capillaries are microscopic blood vessels that allow the oxygen, hormones, nutrients, and antibodies to pass from the body’s bloodstream to individual cells. If a capillary’s walls are too fragile they will allow blood to drain out of the vessels and into the cells. The result of this is easy bruising, brain and retinal hemorrhages, bleeding gums and other cardiovascular abnormalities.

Bioflavonoids and vitamin C are found in many of the same foods and the body metabolizes both of these in the same manner. Researchers have discovered that some of the functions that vitamin C is credited with is actually from the bioflavonoids. Since they work so close together numerous reports have stated that vitamin C and many bioflavonoids need each other to produce the effects that they have on the immune system.

These uses of bioflavonoids are the main reason that they are accredited with the use they have at preventing heart disease. Many laboratory studies show how bioflavonoids stop or slow the growth of malignant cells, they also help protect against cancer-causing substances invading the heart and blood cells. Bioflavonoids also act as natural antibiotics for the human body.

Calcium

Calcium protects your heart. If you're low on calcium, you're more likely to have high blood pressure. Your body releases the hormone calcitriol in response to a calcium shortage, and calcitriol acts on the smooth muscle walls of your arteries, constricting them and elevating your blood pressure. In fact, your calcium intake may be almost as important to blood pressure as your sodium intake. An adequate supply of calcium helps muscles, including your heart muscle, do their work of contracting and relaxing.  Calcium also helps your nervous system regulate the level of pressure in your arteries.

Recent research points to calcium deficiency as being a possible cause of hypertension (high blood pressure) and of colon cancer.

Calcium is the mineral most likely to be deficient in the average diet.  It helps to contract muscles and helps regulate the contractions of the heart.

Calcium deficiency is a condition in which we fail to receive or to metabolize an adequate supply of Calcium.  Calcium is the chief supportive element in bones and teeth. Calcium salts make up about 70 percent of bone by weight and give your bone its strength and rigidity.   About 99 percent of the calcium in the human body is held in the bones and teeth. The remaining 1 percent of calcium circulates in the bloodstream, where it performs a variety of important functions.

Magnesium

Magnesium deficiency is very common and many believe that it is one of the single most correctable factors to preventing heart and other diseases.  It lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke, helps prevent or treat diabetes, and strengthens bones.

Adequate magnesium levels may help keep the heart healthy in a variety of ways. The mineral is important for the activity of the heart muscle and the nerves that initiate the heartbeat. It may help prevent arrhythmias, as well as keep blood vessels healthy and prevent spasms of coronary arteries that cause angina. And it helps regulate blood pressure.

A magnesium deficiency can thus lead to cardiovascular abnormalities that increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Some studies have found that people with several types of heart problems or heart disease benefit from increased magnesium intake.  Many population studies have found that people with a diet rich in magnesium have a lower risk of heart disease and stroke.

In the past magnesium received far less attention than superstar nutrients such as calcium or vitamin C.  But recent research has uncovered new aspects of its crucial roles in health. This has led many people to make claims about the health benefits of magnesium—from food or supplements. There certainly are many good reasons to eat magnesium-rich foods.

Magnesium does hundreds of important jobs in the body—involving energy production, the functioning of the heart, nerves, and muscles, bone health, and the clotting of blood.

NAC (n-acetyl L-cysteine)

Produced by the body, N-acetylcysteine (commonly called NAC) is a form of the amino acid cysteine. Because it enhances the production of the enzyme glutathione, one of the body's powerhouse antioxidants, NAC can both stave off heart disease and play an important role in boosting the immune system.

In some studies, NAC appears to significantly lower levels of homocysteine and

lipoprotein(a), substances associated with an increased risk of heart disease. As an antioxidant, it also helps prevent the damaging oxidation--and thereby the precipitation--of LDL ("bad") cholesterol from the material that lines blood vessels.

Supplemental antioxidants--NAC is one of many-- are believed to protect the body's cells from altered oxygen molecules called free radicals. Damage from free radicals is thought to be a significant factor in such degenerative conditions as cancer and heart disease.

Of course, factors other than oxidative damage, such as life style factors and genetic susceptibility, play strong roles in disease development as well. The hope is that by reducing susceptibility to free radical damage, a person may further lower susceptibility to a variety of chronic medical conditions. Incidentally, it is by means of its antioxidant actions that NAC helps the liver eliminate potentially dangerous environmental and biological toxins from the body.

L-Taurine

Taurine is an amino acid found in the heart muscle, white blood cells, skeletal muscle, and central nervous system. It is a building block of all the other amino acids, as well as a key component of bile, which is needed for the digestion of fats, the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, and the control of serum cholesterol levels.

Regular supplements of taurine contribute to our antioxidant defenses, reinforce the immune system, strengthen the heart muscle, stabilize heart rhythm, prevent blood clots, guard against diabetes, and aid digestion.

In addition to encouraging the excretion of excess fluid, this amino acid dampens the sympathetic nervous system (which can constrict blood vessels), thereby relieving arterial spasms that cause blood pressure to rise.

Taurine strengthens the heart muscle and maintains the calcium balance. It plays a major role in regulating the heart's contractility, and it guards against the toxic threat of drugs like Adriamycin (doxorubicin), a medication used in chemotherapy that frequently causes heart attacks, cardiac arrest, and arrhythmia.

L-Arginine

"Our findings suggest that people who take dietary supplements of L-arginine, an amino acid, and antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, might be at a lower risk for atherosclerosis and heart disease," said Dr. Louis J. Ignarro, a 1998 Nobel laureate in medicine and UCLA professor of molecular and medical pharmacology. "This is significant because cardiovascular disease is still the No. 1 cause of death in the United States."

The early lesions and cholesterol deposits that mark atherosclerosis first develop where blood vessels branch in different directions. Blood rushing around these tight corners constantly exposes cells to a pounding force, causing inflammation. As the inflamed blood vessels narrow, plaques build up inside, blocking blood flow and often leading to serious disease, such as stroke and heart attacks.

"Atherosclerotic plaques act like trash caught in a river bend, impeding the flow," Ignarro said. "But our research shows that treatment with antioxidants and L-arginine may prevent blood vessel inflammation and subsequent damage."

Ignarro's lab exposed human cells in a culture dish to varying forces of fluid flow and found that high shear stress induced inflammatory molecules. When the scientists added antioxidants and L-arginine to the cells, the production of harmful molecules decreased. In addition, this step increased production of eNOS, a molecule that promotes dilation of the blood vessels and prevents clotting.

The UCLA team also showed that combining L-arginine and antioxidants blunted the damaging effects of shear stress in a strain of mice bred with high cholesterol levels.

"It's likely that L-arginine and the antioxidants act synergistically to reduce the levels of inflammatory molecules and increase eNOS levels," Ignarro said. "Although the experiments were conducted in mice, we believe that these observations may predict the same outcome in patients who suffer from atherosclerosis and heart disease."

Arginine is a powerful vasodilator and taken with L-carnitine helps improve blood flow and thus is very beneficial to supporting the cardiovascular system as well as helping with, believe it not, erectile dysfunction.

Red Yeast Rice

During the last several years, red yeast rice, an Asian dietary staple made by fermenting red yeast (Monascus purpureus) on rice, gained rapid recognition in the United States as a cholesterol-lowering agent. This was because a careful fermentation process yielded specific amounts of statins--the compounds largely held responsible for reducing cholesterol levels. In 2001, however, red yeast rice extract, a "natural" unregulated nutritional supplement, was withdrawn by the FDA. This decision followed the agency's determination that it was chemically too similar to the prescription statin medication Mevacor, Crestor and others, and thus should be classified as a "drug," which by law is strictly controlled by the federal government.

As a result, supplements containing red yeast rice disappeared for a while from retail stores.  Fortunately, it has returned and can easily be found on many internet sites.  The FDA has backed off in banning this but there is no telling for how long.  Perhaps if and when it puts a substantial dent in the pharmaceutical companies’ bottom line, they will most likely be available only by a doctor’s prescription.  The main reason: it works just as well as Lipitor or any of the other statins that are making billions for the pharmaceutical companies.

It is a natural statin, which is something we all got in our diets when we were all more of the hunter-gatherer types, but no more.  Supplementation is needed.

As a substance, red yeast rice extract has a number of heart-healthy benefits: It helps reduce total cholesterol levels, lower levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol, increase levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol, and lower levels of unhealthy fats called triglycerides.

TMG (Trimethylglycine) (aka Betaine)

Betaine is a substance derived from plant sources that is part of the methyl group of substances that turns the potentially dangerous amino acid, homocysteine, into the beneficial amino acid methionine. Methylation decreases with age, which means that homocysteine levels will increase leading to increased risk of developing heart disease, arthritis, and cancer.  Health benefits related to betaine include decreased risk of depression, Alzheimer's, heart disease and certain cancers.

Hawthorne

Hawthorn (Crataegus) is a shrub commonly found in Europe, western Asia, North America, and North Africa. Medicinal extracts primarily use the leaves and flowers. It has been used for many years for congestive heart failure and to relieve other cardiac problems including angina, cardiac arrhythmia, hypertension and atherosclerosis.  The leaves, flowers, and berries of hawthorn contain a variety of bioflavonoids that appear to be primarily responsible for the cardiac actions of the plant.

Beneficial effects include increased coronary blood flow, decreased arterial blood pressure Increased skeletal muscle blood flow and decreased heart rate in vivo; increased heart rate in vitro.

After one month of hawthorn treatment, hyperglycemic patients displayed significant reductions in serum cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C, and apo-B (a major component of LDL-C).

A 6-week double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving multi-morbid patients (64-82 years) with declining cardiac performance demonstrated the following benefits of standardized Crataegus (hawthorne) extract:

• Significantly decreased pressure heart rate product during exercise and recovery.
• Decreased blood pressure.
• Decreased heart rate.
• Increased exercise tolerance.
• Improved patient sense of well being.

An 8-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial for Crataegus extract, involving patients with NYHA II cardiac insufficiency, revealed a significant advantage over placebo relative to pressure-rate product, exercise tolerance, blood pressure reduction, reduction in heart rate, and subjective improvement.

Hawthorn has demonstrated the ability to protect the heart from the permanent loss of mechanical function that can result from temporary ischemia. This specific protection does not seem to involve an increase in blood flow to the myocardium.

Choline & Inositol

Fat and cholesterol accumulate around the heart and inner walls of the arteries. This causes blood flow to slow and blood pressure to rise. Blood clotting is also a problem when the arteries are clogged which, if a clot breaks loose, can cause strokes or heart attacks according to where they end up. Heart disease is usually advanced before a problem arises. Prevention should be the first goal.

Choline and inositol act as fat emulsifiers in the bloodstream and help prevent plaque buildup.

Plant Sterols (phytosterols)

Plant sterols and plant stanols are collectively known as phytosterols. Plant sterols are plant compounds with chemical structures similar to that of cholesterol. Especially high sterol levels are found in rice bran, wheat germ, corn oils, and soybeans. In a more concentrated form, these substances are called plant stanols. Structurally these compounds are chemically similar to cholesterol. However, unlike cholesterol derived from animal sources--which absorbs easily and raises the body's own cholesterol levels--phytosterols are present only at very low levels in the body because they are difficult to absorb.

Interestingly, phytosterols so closely resemble cholesterol that they can actually block food-based cholesterol from being absorbed into the bloodstream. The result is that both phytosterols and dietary cholesterol end up excreted in waste matter.

Because of their ability to block dietary cholesterol absorption, phytosterols can help lower your cholesterol levels.

By lowering total and LDL cholesterol levels, plant sterols and stanols may reduce your risk of heart disease. Studies have shown that daily phytosterols can lower these cholesterol measurements by an average of 10% to 14%. Because of these strong findings, the National Cholesterol Education Panel issued a new recommendation in 2001 that plant stanols and sterols be added to cholesterol-lowering regimens, along with the more traditional cholesterol-fighting tools, such as regular exercise, weight loss, and a low-fat diet.

When our bodies are given enough of these concentrated phytosterols during a meal, most of the cholesterol in the food we eat during that meal will pass

through the digestive tract and be eliminated. After an hour or so of taking plant sterols, the phytosterols just "drop off" the receptor sites and pass through the digestive tract. Phytosterols are free of any adverse reactions or side effects, and because of their slight molecular difference from cholesterol, they do not enter the bloodstream.

Tumeric (curcumin)

New research shows that turmeric--and its main bioactive compound, curcumin--has the power to block inflammation, stop cancer, kill infectious microbes, and improve heart health.

In the ancient Indian system of Ayurvedic holistic medicine, turmeric is revered for its ability to quell inflammation and to treat a variety of maladies.

New research on curcumin's potential benefits involves its apparent ability to improve cardiovascular health. As with many of curcumin's protective actions, this ability to improve circulatory system function may be due to its powerful antioxidant activity. Late last year, several reports detailed curcumin's ability to protect test animals against a variety of conditions that model heart disease in humans.

Researchers in Egypt noted that curcumin protected rats from oxidative stress injury following experimentally induced stroke.46 Stroke is a common result of thrombosis and/or atherosclerosis, which leads to clogging of the arteries that supply the brain with vital oxygen and nutrients. It is believed that such injury, known as ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) insult, is responsible for many of the deficits seen in stroke victims. Researchers concluded that curcumin protected the rats from I/R damage. They noted that when curcumin was administered at the highest levels, injury-related oxidants, believed to be responsible for the majority of I/R damage, were significantly reduced.

Curcumin acts to lower total cholesterol levels. Perhaps even more important, it prevents peroxidation of LDL ("bad") cholesterol. LDL peroxidation plays a key role in the development of atherosclerosis, so it follows that a substance that inhibits peroxidation should benefit cardiovascular health.

Still more intriguing than its ability to limit peroxidation is the finding that curcumin raises HDL ("good") cholesterol levels, even as it reduces LDL levels. In a small study of human volunteers, researchers reported a highly significant 29%

increase in HDL among subjects who consumed one-half gram (500 mg) of curcumin per day for seven days. Subjects also experienced a decrease in total serum cholesterol of more than 11%, and a decrease in serum lipid peroxides of 33%.48 Further human studies are needed, but these preliminary findings are promising. As one research team noted: "Administration of a nutritional dose of C. longa extracts [curcumin]...may contribute to the prevention of effects caused by a diet high in fat and cholesterol in blood and liver during the development of atherosclerosis."

Vitamin E

On Thursday, November 19, 1992, New York Newsday carried a report that vitamin E had decreased the risk of heart disease between one-third and one-half. The studies reported were conducted at the Harvard School of Public Health. In one study, Dr. M. Stampfer found that during an eight year follow-up, women who had taken at least 100 iu of vitamin E daily for two years had a 46 percent lower risk of having a heart attack. This was based on a population study involving 87,245 women. The second study, on men, by Dr. E. Rimm, based upon 51,529 subjects, showed a 37 percent lower risk. They found that there was not enough vitamin E in food; Dr. Stampfer was so convinced by the data he is taking the vitamin himself.

These findings, of course, are not surprising to anyone familiar with the history of vitamin E and heart disease. In the late 1940s, Drs. Wilfrid and Evan Shute began to treat large numbers of patients with megadoses of vitamin E, usually above 800 IU daily. Their clinic eventually had experience with perhaps 30,000 patients who came from all over North America to receive their treatment. Their work was a model of clinical research, but the idea was so novel that their work was discounted entirely and they were considered quacks for recommending these doses for a disease "known" not to be a vitamin deficiency disease. Fifty years ago, about the time they began their studies, hardly anyone knew what vitamin E was, and it was not considered important or relevant.

B Complex

In the cover story of the August 11, 1997, issue of Newsweek was the following statement that the Attorney General should mail to every single person: "An avalanche of new studies suggest that an amino acid called homocysteine plays a critical role in destroying our arteries--perhaps as large a role as smoking or cholesterol."

Homocysteine is as large a risk factor in heart disease as smoking or cholesterol, but there are steps you can take to reduce the risk.  According to Dr. Kilmer McCully, pathologist at the VA Medical Center in Providence, RI, the initial injury to our arteries--that leads to the potentially deadly build-up of atherosclerotic plaque--is caused by homocysteine. This initial injury is what makes the vessels vulnerable to LDL cholesterol.

First, you need to know that your body needs homocysteine. It is used to build and maintain tissue. Homocysteine is not bad. It is the build-up of homocysteine that is bad. The problem occurs when there is a deficiency of Vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid.  These 3 vitamins should normally sweep this excess of homocysteine away.  But when you don't have enough of these B Vitamins, you have a problem.  Folic acid deficiency is on of the most nutritional deficiencies in the world, so there is a good chance that the average person is allowing a toxic build-up of homocysteine.

It is a good idea to balance the B vitamins in a complex.  Because they are methyl donors, the B-complex also helps to reduce the build-up of homocysteine, making it an excellent heart-health supplement. It is well established that a person's measure of blood plasma homocysteine acts as a biochemical marker inversely indicating folate levels.  When a person's blood plasma folate levels are high, their homocysteine levels are low. As folate levels decrease, homocysteine levels increase along with an increased chance for heart disease.  Please note that people who supplement with a multi or other vitamin containing folate rarely have inadequate amounts of folate. Folate reduces homocysteine.

Niacin / B-3

Of all cholesterol-lowering agents, niacin has the longest clinically documented record of safety and efficacy, beginning in 1955 and continuing today.  It is recommended by the National Cholesterol Education Program and the American Heart Association.

Niacin has an impressive profile of benefits unmatched by any prescription-only drug including the all the prescription statins.

Benefits include:

• Lowering of total and LDL cholesterol
• Reduction of triglycerides
• Lowering of Lp(a), an independent risk factor
• Conversion of small, dense LDL to the more benign large, buoyant LDL particles
• Reduction of blood-clot-forming substance called fibrinogen

But by far the most important thing that niacin does is that it does a fantastic job of raising your HDL, the good cholesterol. 

Let’s explain why this is significant.  You see, when LDL, the bad cholesterol arrives in the arteries it is the HDL, good cholesterol that acts like a molecular garbage truck that carries away the bad cholesterol from the arteries, thus preventing the buildup of placque, which is what clogs your arteries.

This is why it is so important to take niacin, which is actually an FDA approved HDL raiser.  They’ve actually approved it for use in combination with some pharmaceutical statins.

Research at the University of Washington documented that the use of niacin virtually halted the progression of coronary artery disease.

Thus taking niacin is crucial for stopping the progression of cardiovascular disease.

Niacin can give some people a slight warm flush but don’t worry.  It only lasts about 15 or 20 minutes and that flush will go way completely after taking Cardio 360 for a few days.  The flush is actually extremely beneficial to the vascular system and also great for your skin too.

So whatever you do don’t be scared away by the flush.  It’s great for your arteries and great for your skin.  Just follow the directions on the Cardio 360 bottle.  It goes away completely in a day or two anyway.

Pantothenic Acid

Although your body produces it through enzyme metabolism, supplementation has been shown to significantly improve cholesterol levels. As your body uses it, it slows down cholesterol production in your liver. It also increases the rate at which your metabolism uses fats. Because of this effect, pantothenic acid has been clinically demonstrated to increase your level of good cholesterol (HDL) while lower the level of bad cholesterol (LDL) in your body.

High levels of LDL (low-density lipoprotein) - the "bad cholesterol" - is a major contributing factor of heart disease. The cholesterol forms plaque in the hearts blood vessels, which restricts or blocks the supply of blood to the heart, and causes a condition called atherosclerosis, which is a buildup of fatty substances in the inner layers of the arteries.  Pantothenic acid has been shown to substantially lower LDL levels.

Potassium

A healthy intake of potassium through foods is valuable for general health and can even help to maintain normal blood pressure. In fact, a diet high in potassium-rich food can help to protect against heart disease and stroke, according to various studies. One study found that people with high blood pressure who had a daily serving of potassium-rich foods decreased their risk of fatal stroke by 40%.

Research also indicates that an adequate level of potassium may have a role to play in regulating heartbeat, staving off heart-rhythm abnormalities, and preventing kidney stones.

Scientists have long known that potassium helps maintain blood pressure. According to the latest studies, people who regularly consume high-potassium foods, such as bananas, avocados, and yogurt, have lower blood pressure than those who don't. For example, in a recent review of 33 studies that examined the effect of potassium on blood pressure, researchers discovered that participants who started out with normal blood pressure and then added 2,340 mg of potassium daily (from foods, supplements, or both) were able to lower their risk of developing high blood pressure by 25%. The reductions were ultimately greatest for people who already had high blood pressure.

A potassium-rich diet may even enable people with high blood pressure to slash their daily dose of prescription medication. In one study of 54 adults with high blood pressure, the majority (81%) of those who were placed on a high-potassium diet--they ate three to six servings of potassium-rich foods daily--were able to safely and dramatically reduce their dosage of high blood pressure medications within 12 months. In contrast, only 29% of those who continued with their normal diets were able to do so.

Grape Seed Extract

As its name implies, grape seed extract is derived from the small seeds (and occasionally the skins) of red grapes--the same kind that are pressed to make wine. Used extensively in Europe, grape seed extract is rich in flavinoids, phytochemicals that have antioxidant properties some consider even greater than the old standbys vitamin C and vitamin E. Antioxidants are believed to prevent and control numerous ailments by safeguarding cells against the ravages The most valuable flavinoids in grape seed extract are procyanidolic oligomers (also known as proanthocyanidins), commonly called PCOs. Beyond their antioxidant powers, PCOs are thought to improve blood circulation and help strengthen blood vessels. These actions benefit people with heart disease and cancer.

An alternative source is Pycnogenol (pik-NODGE-en-all), the brand name for a PCO derived from the bark of the maritime pine. Experts compare its health benefits to those of grape seed extract.  However, it's more expensive than grape seed extract

European doctors prescribe PCO-containing drugs for various vascular (vessel) disorders that are likely to benefit from increased blood flow, such as diabetes, leg cramps, varicose veins, arm and leg numbness or tingling and even impotence. Macular degeneration and cataracts--vision-robbers of the elderly--may also improve by means of the extract's effects on circulation.

Specifically, grape seed extract may help to prevent heart disease.  The risk for heart attack and stroke may be reduced with this potent antioxidant, which is believed to prevent the plaque development that can clog arteries. A recent study of 38 smokers indicates that PCOs may function as effectively as aspirin in keeping blood cells from sticking together and forming blood clots (called an anticoagulant effect). And the PCOs posed no risk of the gastrointestinal irritation or bleeding generally associated with aspirin. Interestingly, another preliminary study using grape seed oil (which is related to grape seed extract) indicates that using 2 tablespoons a day to replace other oils in cooking could increase HDL ("good") cholesterol by 14% and reduce triglycerides by 15% in just four weeks

Cayenne (Capsicum annum)

Thought to have originated in Cayenne, French Guiana, cayenne is a spice derived from several varieties of dried hot peppers in the Capsicum species. Cayenne is a relative of the mild bell pepper used in salads and also of the fiery peppers found in chili powders and hot sauces, but it has no connection to black table pepper. Used for centuries by cooks around the world to add "heat" to traditional dishes, cayenne has gained a solid reputation as a painkiller, digestive aid and circulation stimulant.

Cayenne has been known to stop heart attacks within 30 seconds. For example, when a 90-year-old man in Oregon had a severe heart attack, his daughter was able to get Cayenne extract into his mouth. He was pronounced dead by the medics, but within a few minutes, he regained consciousness. On the way to the hospital, he remained in a semi-conscious state, but the daughter kept giving him the Cayenne extract. By the time they got to the hospital, he had fully recovered and wanted to go home and mow the lawn. The doctor asked what she had given him, as he said it was the closest thing to a miracle he had ever seen.

If a heart attack should occur, it is suggested that a teaspoon of extract be given every 15 minutes or a teaspoon of Cayenne in a glass of hot water be taken until the crisis has passed. Dr. Richard Anderson also knew of a doctor who rushed out into the parking lot and put cayenne tincture into the mouth of a man who had died of a heart attack while he was parking his car. Within a few minutes, the man’s heart starting beating again.

According to Dr. Anderson, using cayenne and hawthorn berries together has a most incredible effect upon the heart. He believes that a regimen of cayenne and hawthorn berries for several months will greatly strengthen the heart, and possibly prevent heart attacks. He states further that if an attack were to occur in someone who had followed this regimen, chances are very good that no damage would occur.

Green Tea Extract

There is research indicating that drinking green tea, or taking green tea supplements, lowers total cholesterol levels, as well as improving the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol.

The secret of green tea lies in the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. It has also been effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots. The latter takes on added importance when you consider that thrombosis (the formation of abnormal blood clots) is the leading cause of heart attacks and stroke.

Links are being made between the effects of drinking green tea and the "French Paradox." For years, researchers were puzzled by the fact that, despite consuming a diet rich in fat, the French have a lower incidence of heart disease than Americans. The answer was found to lie in red wine, which contains resveratrol, a polyphenol that limits the negative effects of smoking and a fatty diet. In a 1997 study, researchers from the University of Kansas determined that EGCG is twice as powerful as resveratrol, which may explain why the rate of heart disease among Japanese men is quite low, even though approximately seventy-five percent are smokers.

CoQ10

In addition to maintaining healthy arteries — essential in promoting a healthy cardiovascular system — CoQ10 will support a healthy immune system and energy levels as well.

A natural enzyme and antioxidant, Co-Q10 has been used to treat congestive heart failure with great success. It can thin the blood of patients with ischemic heart disease and increase resistance to free radical damage caused by LDL.  Another benefit of this enzyme is an increase in blood volume per heart beat. Scientists compared cardiac patients treated with traditional methods versus those treated with Co-Q10. After three years, only 24% of patients treated with regular methods were alive while 75% of the Co-Q10 patients were still ticking. 

Your heart muscle uses a tremendous amount of energy. CoQ10 sparks the creation of energy inside your heart and allows the heart cells to generate enough energy to function properly. However, as you age, your body produces less CoQ10.

Co-Q10 can also help normalize blood pressure. When medical researchers gave Co-Q10 to 109 hypertension patients, 51% of them were able to discontinue medications within five months.

Renowned cardiologist and author (“The Sinatra Solution”) Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D. has stated that if he were stranded on a desert island and could only bring one nutraceutical with him, CoQ10 would be it.

Lycopene

Lycopene, a carotenoid found in tomato products, prevents oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and reduces the risk of developing atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease according to a recent study published in the October 1998 issue of Lipids.  This study showed that daily consumption of tomato products or lycopene supplements, was enough to substantially reduce low density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation. High LDL oxidation is associated with increased risk of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease.

This lycopene level can be achieved by drinking just two glasses of tomato juice a day. Research shows that lycopene in tomatoes can be absorbed more efficiently by the body if processed into tomato juice, sauce, paste and ketchup. The bound chemical form of lycopene found in tomatoes is converted by the temperature changes involved in processing to make it more easily absorbed by the body. Ongoing research suggests that lycopene can reduce the risk of prostate cancer and cancers of the lung, bladder, cervix and skin.

Chromium Picolinate

A Chromium deficit (in conjunction with other nutrients) may show up as low blood sugar, and then become a critical factor in the development of adult-onset diabetes, circulatory issues and even heart disease. There is also scientific evidence to suggest that in some people Chromium may play a major role in reducing sugar cravings, promoting lean body mass, lowering blood pressure and regulating the appetite. Chromium has also been shown to reduce the 'bad' cholesterol (LDL), which has been linked to the development of heart disease.

Science is revealing that increases in chronic diseases like type II diabetes and heart disease (CVD), are for the most part traditionally regarded as a normal part of aging. But it is more likely that the diseases 'of age' may more realistically be due to poor diets. We have to protect ourselves, because Chromium levels have also been shown to decrease with strenuous exercise, pregnancy, diabetes and just plain old psychological stress faster than normal. And since Chromium is a critical component in the production of insulin, it is important that you supply it in adequate amounts everyday.

One form of chromium that seems to be very effective in its ability to be absorbed, as well as help the body to produce insulin is Chromium Picolinate. In studies it has been shown to enhance the body's insulin activity allowing the body to increase carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism helping to control glucose levels.

The preventive and longevity increasing potential of Chromium, or more specifically the more bioavailable forms of Chromium such as the Picolinate form taken as a supplement increased lifespan in rats by 33% in one study. Chromium Picolinate is so well absorbed and utilized that it is now a major component in formulas that are used for everything from weight loss and diabetes, and other products that control blood sugar.

Chromium Picolinate, when used as a dietary supplement may be helpful in suppressing the appetite and for getting rid of those sugar cravings. Additionally, it is now being used in the athletic community because is has been shown to build muscle and trim fat simultaneously.

Selenium

In 1979, Chinese scientists reported an association between low selenium intake and a condition called Keshan disease, a form of cardiomyopathy that affects primarily children and women of childbearing age.

People in certain parts of China were getting little selenium in their diets because the soil in their region contained almost none. Chinese veterinarians noticed that some animals suffered from the heart condition in this region. Their study led to doctors to make the connection between human cardiomyopathy and selenium. Chinese doctors found that they can prevent cardiomyopathy with selenium supplements.

Selenium deficiency alone doesn't seem to cause cardiomyopathy. Researchers think that cardiomyopathy develops in selenium-deficient people who have been exposed to certain viruses that affect the heart muscle.

Research in United States showed that when laboratory animals were exposed to a virus called Coxsackie, they remained healthy when they had enough selenium. When the virus was exposed to animals that were deficient in Selenium, it caused extensive heart damage.

We do not know how selenium protects the heart muscle from viral damage. Experts suggest that it may be related to the antioxidant properties of selenium. Virus attacks can cause the release of free radicals. This damages the healthy cells in our body. Antioxidants neutralize the effect of the free radicals, preventing their damage.

Biotin

Results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical study show that daily nutritional supplementation with a combination of chromium picolinate (another nutrient also found in CARDIO 360) and biotin significantly improved coronary risk factors.

This clinical study, which evaluated 24 patients over 30 days, was presented at the AHA's Annual Conference on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis & Vascular Biology (ATVB) in San Francisco.

The study found the following significant improvements in subjects who added these supplements to their treatment regimen:

• Total cholesterol levels dropped an average of 19.1 mg/dL
• LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels dropped an average of 10.9 mg/dL
• Average fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels decreased 26.2 mg/dL
• Apo-B dropped -5.3 mg/dl
• Ratio of apo-B/apo-A; LDL-C/HDL-C improved

Biotin is found in almost all multi-vitamins and B-complex formulas.

EPA / DHA Complex

This is not included in the actual Cardio 360 Formula.  It is found in the accompanying companion vitamin bottle.  We could have used the O2P technique (oil to powder) and included it in the formula but since it is much better assimilated by the body in its original oil form, we decided to keep it that way.

The EPA and DHA from fish oil can both prevent and treat a number of actions. Perhaps most well known is fish oil’s ability to lower levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides thought to be responsible for an increased risk of artery blockages and heart attack.

Research in recent years has shown the EPA from fish oil helps to prevent death from cardiac arrest by reducing the risk of heart arrythmias (abnormal heartbeat). EPA also helps to reduce the stickiness of blood platelets. These disc-shaped cells are vital to blood clotting but if they become too sticky they can aggregate and accumulate in the arteries, leading to blockages, and ultimately heart attack or stroke. EPA inhibits the body’s production of a hormone-like substance that increases blood platelet stickiness.

Lesions in the arteries that can ‘catch’ passing cholesterol and platelets to form a blockage are less likely to form when there is plenty of EPA in the blood plasma. Lowering of high blood pressure is another of fish oil’s abilities.

Essentially, fish oil helps to keep the arteries wide and free flowing with viscous blood, while assisting the normal action of the heartbeat. The end result is a much healthier cardiovascular system and a reduced risk of heart attack or stroke, whether you’ve suffered from these problems in the past or not.