The Best Vitamins, Minerals & More for Cardiovascular Health

 

We have known for a long time that your diet plays a big role in your health. What you eat impacts your risks for such conditions as diabetes, stroke, and cardiovascular disease. But what is inside food that causes this? This article delves into the science behind micronutrients – how the tiny components inside your food impact your heart health.

The cardiologists at Zepick Cardiology in Wichita work with patients at high risk for heart problems to make sure they know what foods are most effective at reducing their risk factors. Changing to a Pesco-Mediterranean diet is one lifestyle change to greatly benefit your heart.

What makes the Mediterranean diet or other diets focused on plants and fish so beneficial for your heart is their focus on foods that do not have a lot of saturated fat or sodium. But in addition to that, these diets encourage you to eat foods that are rich in micronutrients, including unsaturated fatty acids, antioxidant vitamins, and minerals.

Each food contains many different micronutrients. And some are better than others. After nearly 900 studies, involving more than 800,000 people, we now have valuable information including:

• Which micronutrients provide the most cardiovascular benefits
• Which risk factors are improved by micronutrients
• Which diseases are most impacted by additional micronutrients

 

What are Micronutrients?

Micronutrients are naturally occurring components in the food we eat. Many also exist artificially in food, drink and/or supplements. You only need to look down the vitamins aisle at the pharmacy or grocery store to see a dizzying amount of options. Each supplement can be beneficial in its own way. We will focus on several micronutrients that have been recently studied for their impact on cardiovascular health factors.

 

Twenty-seven micronutrients were studied, each of which fits into one of these categories:

• Fatty acids
• Amino acids
• Vitamins
• Minerals
• Antioxidants
• Polyphenols

 

The Power of Polyphenols

Among the studies on which micronutrients can benefit your health, polyphenols showed great results for a variety of health issues. Polyphenols are something you are likely getting on a regular basis, but probably don’t know much about.

Polyphenols are not one thing. They refer to a group of micronutrients naturally found in plants. About 8,000 polyphenols have been identified so far. Polyphenols are good for anyone’s diet, but they can especially make a positive impact on those suffering from illness or disease.

• Type 2 Diabetics saw better blood glucose numbers and improvement in cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and hemoglobin A1c.
• Those with hypertension benefitted from reduced blood pressure numbers
• Overweight or obese people had reduced systolic blood pressure, higher good (LDL) cholesterol levels, and lower blood glucose numbers.
• Postmenopausal women taking additional polyphenols saw better blood pressure numbers. For information on how vitamins & hormone therapy affect cardiovascular health for postmenopausal women, click here to learn about what research has found.
• Those with Metabolic Syndrome (people who have a variety of cardiovascular risk factors) had improved blood lipid numbers

Polyphenols have been shown not just to help people who suffer from particular cardiovascular issues but also to improve health factors for people who do not suffer from disease. Healthy people receiving a median dose of polyphenols saw a reduction in lipid amounts and improved glucose and insulin numbers.

 

Micronutrients Findings: The Best & Worst for Your Heart

When it comes to preventing cardiovascular disease, n-3 fatty acid, folic acid (vitamin B9), and coenzyme Q10 (an antioxidant supplement) rank top on the list. They were shown to not only be helpful in reducing risk factors but also to make a positive impact on serious health events including overall mortality.

Among the micronutrients studied, few showed harmful impacts on cardiovascular issues. However, a median dose of 20 mg/d b-carotene did increase the risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease mortality, and stroke.

 

Micronutrients: Only 1 Part of a Heart Healthy Life

No micronutrient is a wonder drug. There is no magic pill to eliminate a person’s risk for a heart attack or stroke. While research shows promising results for micronutrients to make positive impacts, those benefits do not overcome any risks or non-optimum lifestyles individuals may still have.

Are you eating a heart-healthy diet? Are you getting regular, moderate exercise? Do you smoke? Does your family have a history of cardiovascular illness? There are many factors that can raise or lower your likelihood of having heart disease. Incorporating multiple heart-friendly lifestyle changes is the best way to improve your overall cardiovascular health.

Start looking for foods with these beneficial micronutrients to add to your regular diet.

Look for foods where these naturally occur, such as increasing plant-based foods to increase your polyphenols. Getting more n-3 fatty acids by eating fish, vegetable oils, nuts (especially walnuts), flax seeds, flaxseed oil, and leafy vegetables. To get more folic acid, try to add more of these items to your diet: Dark green leafy vegetables, beans, peanuts, sunflower seeds, fresh fruits, fruit juices, whole grains, liver, seafood, and eggs.

Or find foods that have been fortified with these micronutrients. You can find several with added folic acid, also known as vitamin B9.

Getting the proper quantity to achieve the benefits research has found is important. Working with your primary doctor or a cardiologist like those at Zepick Cardiology can help you get the most beneficial dosage for any micronutrient that may benefit you and your health condition.

 

How the Pesco-Mediterranean Diet & Intermittent Fasting Helps your Cardiovascular System

There is a saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That is often the case, especially when it comes to your heart.

Here at Zepick Cardiology in Wichita, we treat patients dealing with a variety of cardiovascular issues. And in addition to providing the necessary treatment to improve our patients’ heart health, we arm them with the information to make the important lifestyle changes to help prevent future problems.

What you eat makes a major difference to your heart. Simply eating smarter goes a long way. But even better is to eat in a way that specifically improve your heart health. When it comes to improving your heart health, landmark clinical trials have shown that the Pesco-Mediterranean specific diet change will make the most impact.

Who should consider the Pesco-Mediterranean Diet?

• Someone with current cardiovascular issues
• Someone with a family history of heart problems
• Anyone looking for a healthier way to eat

In addition to this diet, you can improve your heart health by making a change to the schedule of when you eat. Combining this way of eating along with intermittent fasting creates an ideal scenario for your heart.

What is the Pesco-Mediterranean Diet?

Simply put, it is the Mediterranean Diet without red meat or poultry. If you are not familiar with the Mediterranean Diet, keep reading to learn about each of the components. The main ingredients are vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains and extra-virgin olive oil. It also includes fish, seafood, eggs and fermented dairy products.

The “pesco” prefix is for pescatarian. In regards to individual diet choices, a pescatarian is a person whose diet does not include any meat except for fish and seafood.

Beyond the Heart: Other Health Benefits

This Pesco-Mediterranean diet does more than help your cardiovascular health. Research shows a diet rich in plants, nuts and lean means also helps your health in many other ways, including lowering your risks for:

• Diabetes
• Cognitive decline
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Depression
• Cancer mortality
• Breast cancer
• Colorectal cancers

A panel of experts analyzes the top diets every year. In 2020, for the third year in a row, the Mediterranean diet was ranked #1 for benefitting overall health. The experts deem it nutritious, safe, helpful for preventing cardiovascular issues as well as other conditions like diabetes.

It also was found to be effective for losing weight. What is perhaps the most important factor for people who have struggled with dieting for weight loss, nutritionists rank the Mediterranean diet high for being something people can easily follow.

Reasons to Eliminate Red Meat & Poultry

It is a fact that humans are omnivores. Our anatomy shows how our bodies were designed to eat plants and meat. Our bodies can handle the type of fiber available in plants as herbivores can. And just like carnivores, we have certain types of enzymes in our gut that exist to digest that protein.

While our history shows we ate meat, the type of meat our ancestors primarily ate is very revealing. Before we began widespread farming and depending on crops for food, one-sixth to one-half of our diet consisted of animals. This meat consisted of wild birds, fish, eggs, and game meats.  

Many Americans today enjoy a diet that subsists of a similar ratio of animal protein, but that is where the similarity ends. Past humans who were consuming fish, wild birds and game were benefitting from options that are low in saturated fats. The kinds of meat we eat today are much higher in saturated fat.

Why Not Choose a Vegetarian or Vegan Diet?

If the common meat eaten today is high in saturated fat, you may think giving up meat altogether is a good option. You wouldn’t be wrong. Vegetarian diets can be beneficial. You can follow these diets in a way that is healthy and provides the nutrients you need. However, sometimes strict veganism can lead to nutritional deficiencies and cause people to be at risk for osteopenia, sarcopenia and anemia. It can lead to deficiencies in vitamin B12, proteins, iron, zinc, vitamin D and calcium.

It is a misconception that a vegetarian diet is always a healthier one. Simply removing a problematic food group is only part of the equation. Having a meat-free diet that consists primarily of sweets, fries, chips and other processed foods can hurt your cardiovascular health.

Healthy vegetarian diets are ones that emphasize nuts, fresh produce, and whole grains. A balance of healthy foods is what is important. While this is definitely possible with a meat-free diet, it can prove to be more challenging.

Let’s Talk Fish

It’s the focus on fish and seafood that helps put the Pesco-Mediterranean Diet as a top ranked diet to help your heart. Epidemiological studies show the great benefits of fish.

Increasing how much fish you eat can reduce your risk of heart failure.  Consuming more fish can also decrease the conditions that put you at risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

Compared to a typical meat-eater diet, other diets have been proven to greatly lower your risk for death from coronary artery disease:

• Pescatarian – 34% decreased risk
• Vegetarian – 34% decreased risk
• Vegan – 26% decreased risk
• Reduced meat consumption – 20% decreased risk

Note: While a variety of fish dishes can improve your diet, fried fish is not one of them.

Fish and seafood are a great high-quality protein. Fish are good sources of zinc, iodine, selenium, B vitamins, calcium and magnesium. Eating fish is helpful for building and maintaining strong muscles and bones.  

Let’s Talk Drinks

Drinks to focus on in the Pesco-Mediterranean Diet Drinks include water, coffee and tea. Water is the preferred beverage.

While red wine is often associated (rightly) with the Mediterranean cuisine, only modest alcohol consumption is recommended for this diet. A single glass of red wine with dinner would be in line with keeping to the Mediterranean Diet.

Let’s Talk Nuts

Nuts are a great way to change how you snack. In a study conducted on older persons, the Mediterranean Diet that includes nuts was compared with a less specific low-fat diet and was found to create a more significant decreased risk for cardiovascular issues.

Nuts are packed with nutrients including unsaturated fats, fiber, and protein. In one trial, adding one daily serving of mixed nuts decreased the risk of dying from cardiovascular reasons by 28%.

Let’s Talk Oil – is Extra-Virgin Important?

Yes. You will see any reference to oil in any Mediterranean Diet will specifically state to use extra-virgin olive oil. This is commonly abbreviated to EVOO. This clarification is because extra-virgin olive oil is unrefined. This type of is extracted by cold pressing olives.

Let’s Talk Legumes

What is a legume? It is essentially a fruit or seed of a plant. Some examples are beans, peas, and lentils. They are usually low in fat, have no cholesterol. On the plus side they are high in folate, iron, magnesium, and potassium. They are an excellent source of vegetable protein.

Eating more legumes has been linked with a reduction of risk for cardiovascular disease. Not only that, they can improve blood glucose levels, cholesterol, blood pressure and help with maintaining a healthier body weight.

Let’s Talk Dairy

While dairy is a part of any Mediterranean Diet, it will likely require a shift in what you’re used to. Not only does this diet include a smaller amount of dairy than that in a typical healthy American diet, the types of recommended dairy are different.

Good dairy options in the Mediterranean Diet include fermented low-fat options. Yogurt and soft cheeses are good.

Avoid butter and hard cheeses, as they are high in saturated fat.

Comparing Healthy Diets: American vs Mediterranean

Can you just eat a smart diet without following the specific Pesco-Mediterranean Diet? Yes, a smart diet of any kind will help your health. But when it comes to your heart, research shows a regular American healthy diet is not as beneficial as the Pesco-Mediterranean Diet.

What makes the Pesco-Mediterranean Diet better? Eating for improved health is about more than simply cutting calories. According to 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, health experts recommend the Mediterranean Diet as one of the best ways to change your eating for the better.

Fasting: Time-Restricted Eating

In combination with a Pesco-Mediterranean Diet, you can make great improvements to your heart health by also incorporating intermittent fasting.

Intermittent fasting has gained popularity over recent years. There can be some confusion and misunderstanding to what this exactly entails. There are actually a few different ways you can choose to intermittent fast to reap its health rewards.

Let us dispel a common myth. Fasting doesn’t always mean you go a full day (or days) without eating. We are discussing a specific eating plan known as intermittent fasting or time-restricted fasting. Intermittent fasting means going without food or drinks (that contain calories) for a duration of 12-16 hours every day of the week.

While you’re fasting, your body burns fatty acids for fuel instead of glucose. This intermittent fasting has been shown to improve glucose metabolism and may reduce cancer and cardiovascular disease risks.

How to Schedule your Meals for Intermittent Fasting

Identify the 6-12 hours you want to eat your meals in. A 16-hour fasting is a common choice for those who do intermittent fasting. A schedule that fits this would be finishing your dinner at 7pm and then not eating again until 11am the next day.

During this time when you refrain from eating, you can still drink beverages that do not contain any calories. Good choices would be water, teas, or black coffee.

Eating for Heart Health: Basic Next Steps

The Peco-Mediterranean Diet with Intermittent Fasting incorporates the best diet choices for improving heart health as proven by a variety of scientific studies. Opting for high-protein foods low in saturated fats while also cutting out red meat and poultry and not eating throughout the entire day is the most proven heart-healthy way to eat.

How can you get started? Here are four basic steps to start implementing right now that will put you on the right track.

• Step 1: Replace red meat and poultry with fish and seafood.
• Step 2: Cook with olive oil instead of butter.
• Step 3: Snack on nuts and seeds & choose fruits instead of processed sweets.
• Step 4: Go without eating for at least 12 hours every day.

Zepick Cardiology: Wichita’s Clinic for Heart Health

Your heart is our number one priority at Zepick Cardiology. We are a team of Wichita cardiologists and trained medical technicians experienced in helping people dealing with a variety of cardiovascular issues. We work one-on-one with our patients to find the solutions to help them live better and longer lives. Give us a call at (316) 616-2020 to learn more about our services or for answers to your cardiovascular questions.

You can learn more about the science and research showing the heart benefits of combining the Pesco-Mediterranean Diet with intermittent fasting in a recent article from the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

I can’t cook for a darn, but the doctors at Zepick Cardiology recommend following the Mediterranean diet as an alternative to what you might be eating right now.

“The traditional Mediterranean diet is also proven to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease (such as heart attacks), cancer, and dementia. So I’m a huge advocate of the diet.”

Excerpted from www.eatingwell.com. Click on the link to see recipes.

Fresh and delicious recipes, plus tips on healthy Mediterranean foods

Rich in culture and food history, the nations on the shores of the brilliant azure Mediterranean Sea—Italy, Spain, France, Morocco, Greece, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and Israel—have all contributed something special to the colorful, vibrant tapestry that is Mediterranean cuisine. Key components of Mediterranean cuisine include heart-healthy olive oil, protein-rich legumes, fish and whole grains with moderate amounts of wine and red meat. The flavors are rich, and the health benefits for people choosing a Mediterranean diet are hard to ignore—they are less likely to develop high blood pressure, high cholesterol or become obese. This collection features delicious and nourishing recipes that evoke the essence of the Mediterranean region while helping you work your way toward optimal health.

One of the biggest health risks Americans face is our diet. Zepick Cardiology recommends changing the way we think about diet as a way to help in the fight against diabetes, coronary heart disease and obesity.

Next I’ll post a website with some recipes.

Here’s an article from the American Heart Association:

What is the “Mediterranean” diet?

There’s no one “Mediterranean” diet. At least 16 countries border the Mediterranean Sea. Diets vary between these countries and also between regions within a country. Many differences in culture, ethnic background, religion, economy and agricultural production result in different diets. But the common Mediterranean dietary pattern has these characteristics:

* high consumption of fruits, vegetables, bread and other cereals, potatoes, beans, nuts and seeds
* olive oil is an important monounsaturated fat source
* dairy products, fish and poultry are consumed in low to moderate amounts, and little red meat is eaten
* eggs are consumed zero to four times a week
* wine is consumed in low to moderate amounts

Does a Mediterranean-style diet follow American Heart Association dietary recommendations?

Mediterranean-style diets are often close to our dietary recommendations, but they don’t follow them exactly. In general, the diets of Mediterranean peoples contain a relatively high percentage of calories from fat. This is thought to contribute to the increasing obesity in these countries, which is becoming a concern.

People who follow the average Mediterranean diet eat less saturated fat than those who eat the average American diet. In fact, saturated fat consumption is well within our dietary guidelines.

More than half the fat calories in a Mediterranean diet come from monounsaturated fats (mainly from olive oil). Monounsaturated fat doesn’t raise blood cholesterol levels the way saturated fat does.

The incidence of heart disease in Mediterranean countries is lower than in the United States. Death rates are lower, too. But this may not be entirely due to the diet. Lifestyle factors (such as more physical activity and extended social support systems) may also play a part.

Before advising people to follow a Mediterranean diet, we need more studies to find out whether the diet itself or other lifestyle factors account for the lower deaths from heart disease. See the Lyon Diet Heart Study entry in this Guide for more information.

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4644Mediterranean Diet