Public protocols

Heart Health Foundation

+22 more items in Heart Health Foundation

These are the four supplements I'd start with for heart health, and one of them comes in two versions. If you're starting with one thing, start with the psyllium husk. It's the least expensive item here and soluble fiber has some of the strongest evidence behind it for lowering LDL cholesterol. What each one does Psyllium husk. Soluble fiber, the type that traps bile acids in your intestine and carries them out of your body. Your liver then pulls cholesterol out of your bloodstream to make more. One tablespoon a day, stirred into water. For every 1 to 2 grams of soluble fiber you add daily, LDL cholesterol drops about 1%. Most adults get 3 to 4 grams a day and the target is closer to 10 to 25 grams. Begin with half a tablespoon in a full glass of water and work up from there. Keep psyllium at least 2 hours away from any medication you take. Omega-3 (fish oil). Lowers triglycerides, one of the four numbers on a standard lipid panel. Adding 2 to 4 grams of omega-3 (EPA and DHA) a day can lower triglycerides 20 to 30%. There are two options here at different price points. I explain the difference below so you can decide which is right for you. CoQ10 (coenzyme Q10, an antioxidant your heart muscle depends on). Worth knowing about if you take a statin, because statins work by blocking an enzyme your body also uses to make CoQ10. If you are on a statin and your muscles ache, discuss supplementing CoQ10 with your doctor. If you are not on a statin, you likely do not need this supplement. Tri-magnesium. 300 mg daily. Magnesium can lower systolic blood pressure (the top number) a couple points. Most people don't get enough magnesium from food alone. About the two fish oil options Nordic Naturals ProOmega 2000 is $54.99 for 60 softgels. Biospec Super Omega-3 is $36.99 for 90 softgels. The second one looks like the budget choice, but that's not quite what's going on. Read the two labels side by side: Nordic , 2 softgels: 1,125 mg EPA and 875 mg DHA, so 2,000 mg of the two combined Biospec , 3 softgels: 900 mg EPA and 600 mg DHA, so 1,500 mg combined That works out to 1,000 mg per softgel from Nordic and 500 mg from Biospec. Half as much per capsule, which is why the serving size is three instead of two. Both bottles last 30 days at those servings. So the comparison is $54.99 a month for 2,000 mg a day, or $36.99 a month for 1,500 mg a day. Per 1,000 mg of omega-3, that's 92 cents from Nordic and 82 cents from Biospec. A dime apart. I take the Nordic myself. I order the Biospec for my mother, and that's a cost decision. She takes three a day, she knows she's getting a lower dose, and she'd rather have that than spend more. She's still getting a better product than she was buying at the store. Both are good, quality products. One note. This is educational. Whether any of these is right for you is a decision to make with your doctor, especially if you're on medication. All the best, Lisa Nelson, RD