Nutrition is important for all aspects of health and that includes the health of your heart. Your heart is a pump and a powerful one. It’s responsible for circulating blood throughout our body. Most people know that the foods they eat affect their weight and how they feel, but not everyone knows that the nutritional content of their diet can affect heart health. What you eat matters. Here are five key vitamins and minerals you need for a healthy heart.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin synthesized when you expose your skin to ultraviolet B (UVB) rays from sunlight. Although it is called a vitamin, its actions are mediated via a metabolite called 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D]. Vitamin D has many functions in the body beyond its role as a classic vitamin. It is involved in cellular proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, the controlled death of damaged cells. It also influences hormone production, immune response, and bone formation.
According to the National Institutes of Health, vitamin D helps with blood pressure regulation and blood vessel function while also regulating pathways that control inflammation. Vitamin D deficiency is linked to blood vessel dysregulation, elevated blood lipids, stiffening of arteries, and enlargement of the left lower chamber of the heart muscle called the ventricle. Despite this, studies looking at vitamin D’s effect on cardiovascular risk are conflicting. The strongest evidence is that avoiding vitamin D deficiency reduces heart failure risk.
Since it’s difficult to get enough sun if you live in an area with little direct sunlight, some people take a vitamin D supplement. If you take more than 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily, it’s important to follow your vitamin D level to ensure you’re not consuming too much. It’s possible to develop vitamin D toxicity from taking vitamin D supplements, but this doesn’t occur when you get vitamin D only from sun exposure.
Potassium
Potassium, an electrolyte your body needs for survival on a minute-by-minute basis, helps regulate nerve and muscle function. In terms of heart health, it helps maintain healthy blood pressure levels by flushing out excess sodium through the kidneys. How much potassium do you need each day?
The recommended daily intake of potassium for adults is 2,600 mg for adults. You can add more potassium to your diet by eating fruits such as bananas, prunes, and apricots; vegetables such as spinach, carrots, and potatoes; beans; nuts such as almonds; dairy products; fish; meat; and eggs.
What you shouldn’t do is take a potassium supplement. A potassium supplement can supply too much potassium if you have kidney disease or take certain blood pressure medications called potassium-sparing diuretics. Try to get your potassium from food sources.
Magnesium
You hear a lot about magnesium and the role it plays in health these days. No wonder. Magnesium is an essential mineral that plays several vital roles in the body, including:
- Normal muscle and nerve function
- Preventing and treating migraines
- Helping maintain a healthy immune system
- Producing the energy that keeps you going
- Blood sugar control
Magnesium is also essential for heart health. According to the National Institutes of Health, several prospective studies link a higher magnesium intake with a lower risk of heart disease and stroke. Ways in which magnesium supports heart health include:
- Helping with blood sugar control and insulin metabolism
- Improving blood vessel function
- Improving blood lipids
- Modest lowering of blood pressure
The best sources of magnesium include nuts, seeds, leafy greens, fish, and whole grains. The daily recommended intake for magnesium is 400 milligrams for men 19 to 30 years old; 420 milligrams for men 31 to 50 years old; 310 milligrams for women 19 to 30 years old; and 320 milligrams for women 31 to 50 years old.
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is a vitamin that works with other B vitamins to help your body make energy, along with protein and red blood cells. In addition, this B-vitamin helps your immune system and nervous system work properly. Vitamin B-6 is also involved in the synthesis of neurotransmitters that regulate mood, appetite, and sleep.
In terms of heart health, vitamin B6 lowers homocysteine. High homocysteine is associated with a greater risk of heart disease and stroke. Despite this, it’s unclear whether lowering homocysteine reliably reduces the risk of stroke or heart attack. At this point, the research isn’t compelling enough to justify taking a vitamin B6 supplement. Plus high doses of supplemental B6 can be toxic.
Men under 50 need 1.3 milligrams daily of vitamin B6 and 1.7 milligrams daily over 50. Women under 50 should get 1.3 milligrams daily and 1.5 milligrams after 50. It is best to consume B6 through natural sources such as whole grains, cereals, legumes, potatoes, and bananas.
Folate
Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin that has many functions in the body. You need folate to make DNA and RNA, which is the genetic material used to make new cells. This vitamin plays an important role in cell division and growth, including fetal growth. It also helps red blood cells mature properly and helps produce amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein.
Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin that’s important for heart health. It’s particularly vital for women of childbearing age because it helps prevent neural tube defects (NTD) in developing fetuses. Folate is naturally found in leafy green vegetables like spinach, as well as citrus fruits, legumes, and nuts.
Adults over 18 need 400 micrograms of folate daily while women require 600 micrograms per day during pregnancy. Some foods are also fortified with folic acid, an oxidized form of folate. If you eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, you should get enough folate in your diet for a healthy heart.
The Bottom Line
Eating a nutrient-dense diet that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes will supply your body with most of these nutrients except for vitamin D. The best option for vitamin D is to get daily sun exposure or take a vitamin D supplement.
References:
- “Potassium – National Institutes of Health.” ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Potassium-HealthProfessional/.
- Rosique-Esteban N, Guasch-Ferré M, Hernández-Alonso P, Salas-Salvadó J. Dietary Magnesium and Cardiovascular Disease: A Review with Emphasis in Epidemiological Studies. Nutrients. 2018 Feb 1;10(2):168. doi: 10.3390/nu10020168. PMID: 29389872; PMCID: PMC5852744.
- “Magnesium – Health Professional Fact Sheet.” ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-healthProfessional/.
- “Vitamin B6 – Health Professional Fact Sheet.” ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB6-HealthProfessional/.
- “Vitamin B6 – Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.” hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-b6/.
- “Folate – Health Professional Fact Sheet.” ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-HealthProfessional/.
- “Vitamin D – Health Professional Fact Sheet.” https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind-healthprofessional/.
Related Articles By Cathe:
Vitamins and Minerals for Good Nutrition: What Does Dietary Reference Intake Mean?
Is Consuming the RDA of Specific Vitamins and Minerals Enough for Optimal Health?
Are the Vitamins in Supplements the Same as the Vitamins in Food?
5 Common Myths about Vitamins We Should All Stop Believing
4 Reasons Supplements Aren’t Always All They’re Cracked Up to Be
6 Reasons Taking Calcium Supplements Could Be Harmful
Can Diet or Supplements Lower the Risk of Cataracts?
6 Health-Saving Facts You Should Know Before Taking Supplements
Is It Time to Ditch the Calcium Supplements?
3 Types of Supplements You Should Think Twice Before Taking
Can Supplements Interfere with Your Workout?
Vitamins, Minerals, & Athletic Performance: Which Micronutrients Are of Greatest Concern?
