Circulation and Heart Health—Using Vitamins to Improve Them

The heart is one of the most essential organs in the body. Without it, your circulatory system can't transport blood—and, therefore, oxygen—to your body and brain.

Physical signs which indicate heart disease or general poor heart health like clogged arteries, heart dysfunction, or a congenital heart defect include:

• Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Chest pain
• Pain in the left shoulder
• Coldness or numbness in an arm or leg
• Sexual difficulties, such as erectile dysfunction

6 Best Vitamins and Minerals for Your Heart

While the right vitamins are essential for good heart health, they also rely on the partnership of certain minerals and nutrients so that they can be utilized by the body. Here are some of the most important ones for heart health:

Iron, magnesium, and zinc are minerals that support the body’s overall functioning and protect against infection and fatigue. They can usually be found in:

• Lean meats
• Egg
• Fish
• Nuts
• Dairy products

Additionally, lecithin, derived from sunflower seeds or naturally found in egg yolk, is an allergen-free immune booster. It also helps reduce cholesterol by increasing HDL, which chases cholesterol buildup from the liver. It can be found as butter or in granules or capsules.

B Vitamins

Vitamin B complexes boost overall health and resilience, help regulate blood pressure, and condition the skin and organs. By eating meat, fish, eggs, and vegetables high in folate (such as leafy green vegetables, peas, beans, and more), you will be absorbing the eight complex B vitamins.

If you are vegan, aim to eat a combination of seeds, nuts, and legumes (especially lentils).

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that reduces inflammation and protects against infection. This can support heart health by reducing cholesterol and lowering blood sugar. Vitamin C can be found mostly in citrus fruits and berries—and, to a lesser degree, in all fruits and vegetables like tomatoes and spinach.

How Long Do Vitamins Take To Work?

Vitamins take time to work, because you might be starting from a basis of poor nutrition or a weakened immune system with a deficit of a particular mineral, like zinc, selenium, or iron. The incremental absorption of essential nutrients takes time (maybe even months) before you reach a baseline of stable health and better heart functioning.

Valid reasons to take a vitamin or mineral supplement include a wish to eat more healthily, exercise regularly, ensure adequate nutrition, and increase the absorption of healthy vitamins from your diet. All these actions fit with your goal of supporting your heart to become healthier, so boosting and supplementing your diet is very much advised.

How to Keep Your Heart Healthy

It’s a good idea to start with basic nutrition and a healthy lifestyle to provide a foundation of health for your heart. Eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins is a must, as is eliminating sugar and processed foods while cutting down on alcohol and animal fat.

Regular gentle aerobic exercise—like walking, cycling, or swimming—tones the heart muscle and circulatory system. A more conscious effort to improve your heart health should include taking supplements that contain high doses of particularly powerful vitamins and minerals.

For specific supplements, take a look at our Cholestrin and Bloodsyl supplements.

Relationship Between Heart Health and Circulation

Poor circulation may have a number of causes, but heart problems are strongly linked with circulatory health issues. Since the heart is the main organ pumping the blood around the body, any dysfunction of the heart will affect circulation, short- or long-term.

High blood pressure weakens the blood vessels and then demands more effort from the heart to move the blood around the body, so there is a link between poor circulation and heart problems. High cholesterol affects the arteries around the heart, which may become sluggish due to a residue of plaque, known as atherosclerosis, which can also impact general circulation. To keep your heart healthy and minimize the risk of other health problems developing, eat right, exercise, and take your vitamins!