Nutrition

 by: Perry Stamide

Vitamins are essential to keep your heart healthy. Of

course, you need to eat the right foods with less fat and

cholesterol, but you need to supplement your food with

vitamins to keep your body in the best shape and your heart

pumping for a long time.

Vitamin E is the first vitamin that pops into the mind of

those that are looking to improve their overall heart

health. Vitamin E seems to stop cholesterol in the body

from oxidizing and harming the arteries surrounding the

heart. When cholesterol oxidizes, it's more able to stick

to the sides of the arteries and cause buildup and possible

blockage that can lead to heart attacks and other

infarctions.

Doctors often recommend additional supplements of vitamin E.

Or, they suggest you include more foods rich in vitamin E in

your diet. Nuts, like almonds, for example, are a terrific

way to get your daily dose of vitamin E.

Vitamin E also seems to be showing a lot of promise for

those patients that have already suffered a heart attack.

The vitamin seems to prevent additional heart attacks by

encouraging the arteries to be more 'open' and less

conducive to blockage.

Doctors are of the opinion that supplements of Vitamin C can

help boost the effect of Vitamin E and make it work even

better. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps to prevent

the damaging effects of cholesterol, and at the same time it

assists Vitamin E in its beneficial effects.

If you take vitamins E and C together, you are on your way

to creating a healthier heart and better artery function.

This is the easiest way to ensure the health of your heart,

especially if you have a history of heart disease or you are

concerned about the risk to your heart.

So how much should you take? Well, ideal doses may vary from

patient to patient, but 400IU (international units) of

vitamin E seems to work well for most people. Vitamin C is

tolerable in higher doses without harmful effects. You can

safely take 500miligram of vitamin C twice a day, mornings

and evenings, to help keep your heart fighting fit.

And studies are backing up this additional step in your day.

Talk with your doctor in case you are on any medications for

there are some that will interact or need to be taken at

different times to be more effective.

A good, nutritious eating plan is the ideal way to get your

daily doses of vitamins. But taking additional supplements

is sensible, and recommended and if you're trying to boost

your heart health.