Numerous nutrients have been indicated by thousands of published studies to promote healthy cardiovascular function. There are four primary benefits that can be achieved by using nutrition to promote cardiovascular health:

1) Antioxidant nutrients that prevent cell oxidation of the LDL (bad) cholesterol. It is a scientific fact that cholesterol is essential to your health and protects your cells and produces numerous hormones in the body. Cholesterol only becomes your enemy when the LDL faction is hit by a free radical and becomes oxidized. This is a similar process that occurs when food spoils and metal rusts. The following are nutrients that have been shown to act as antioxidants and protect the LDL cholesterol from oxidation:

• Garlic (400 - 2,000 mg per day - odorless aged extract is superior)
• Vitamin E (400 - 1,200 IU per day - a natural blend is up to 3 times for powerful)
• Grape Seed Extract (50 - 200 mg per day - Activin is the best studied and standardized form)
• Red Wine Extract (50 - 200 mg per day - use standardized 30% or greater polphenols)
• Green Tea Extract (100 - 300 mg per day - use standardized 80% polyphenols/55% epigallocatechin)
• CoEnzyme Q10 (60 - 120 mg per day)

2) Nutrients that promote healthy homocysteine levels. Over 500 studies have been published in the medical literature about the dangers of homocysteine. The majority indicate two critical facts:

• Elevated homocysteine is up to 5 times more deadly than elevated cholesterol.
• Vitamins B6, B12, Folic Acid and Trimethylglycine promote healthy homocysteine levels.

The following are recommended nutrients and levels to promote health homocysteine levels:

• Vitamin B6 (50 - 150 mg per day)
• Vitamin B12 (500 - 2,000 mcg per day - Methylcobalamin form is far superior)
• Folic Acid (400 - 1,000 IU per day)
• Trimethylglycine (100 - 500 mg per day)

3) Nutrients that promote healthy cholesterol levels and ratios. Cholesterol levels are not the best indicators of cardiovascular health, the ratio of HDL (good) versus LDL (bad) are far superior. A ratio of 4 or less is good with 3 being optimal.

The following nutrients are recommended to promote healthy cholesterol levels and ratios:

• Fish Oil (200 - 800 mg per day of EPA & DHA)
• Garlic (900 mg per day - odorless aged extract)
• Tocotrienols (312 mg per day)
• Fiber (20 - 30 grams per day from food and supplements)

4) Nutrients that promote strong and healthy blood vessels. Virtually everyone has heard of the disease scurvy and knows that it’s a result of Vitamin C deficiency. Unfortunately, many people’s diets supply enough Vitamin C and Bioflavonoids to prevent scurvy, but not enough to promote healthy blood vessels. Vitamin C and Bioflavonoids are critical to collagen formation, the major connective protein that maintains and promotes strong blood vessels.

The supplement, Pycnogenol®, is a nutritional supplement made from special pine trees found only in France. Pycnogenol is a powerful complex of antioxidants that may reduce the risks associated with health conditions precipitated by free-radical damage. Pycnogenol may benefit the entire cardiovascular system by preventing excessive platelet aggregation brought on by smoking and stress.

The following nutrients are recommended to promote strong and healthy blood vessels:

• Vitamin C (500 - 2,000 mg per day - Ester-C is superior)
• Bioflavonoids (100 - 500 mg per day)
• Pycnogenol (50 – 200 mg per day)