The Best Supplements for a Healthy Heart

By Ross Pelton, RPh, PhD, CCN
Scientific Director, Essential Formulas

Cardiovascular disease is still the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women. According to the American Heart Association’s 2018 statistics, approximately 1 of every 3 deaths in the US are from cardiovascular disease.i This article summarizes the ways that four products from Essential Formulas, namely Reg’Activ® CardioWellness®, Essential Living Oils™, Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics®, and Dr. Ohhira’s Propolis Plus help promote cardiovascular health.

Reg’Activ® CardioWellness® promotes heart health in a number of ways. Most importantly, CardioWellness contains Lactobacillus fermentum ME-3 which is a strain of bacteria that synthesizes glutathione.ii

Glutathione levels are strongly associated with cardiovascular health. For example, patients with cardiovascular disease have lower glutathione levels compared to healthy controls, and glutathione levels also progressively decline as cardiovascular disease progresses. Glutathione levels in atrial tissue have also been reported to be 58% lower in patients with severe cardiovascular disease compared to patients classified with mild cardiovascular disease.iii In their conclusion, the authors of this study stated the following: “To our knowledge, our study is the first to show that blood glutathione deficiency correlates with the severity of heart failure symptoms in patients.”

In human clinical trials, individuals taking ME-3 achieve on average, a 16% reduction of oxidized LDL-cholesterol. This represents a significant lowering of cardiovascular disease risk.iv

The CardioWellness formula also contains the following supplemental ingredients which contribute to heart health:

  1. Vitamins B6 and B12 help metabolize homocysteine. Elevated homocysteine is a known independent risk factor for heart disease.v
  2. Coenzyme Q10 helps the heart produce more energy and also functions as a powerful antioxidant to protect the heart.vi
  3. Pantethine, a derivative of vitamin B5/pantothenic acid, which helps to lower elevated cholesterol levels.vii
  4. Thiamin (vitamin B1) is added for cardiovascular support as thiamin deficiency is associated with cardiovascular disorders.viii
  5. N-Acetyl-cysteine is an antioxidant and an important precursor for the synthesis of glutathione.ix

Essential Living Oils™ play critical roles in regulating various functions related to cardiovascular health such as blood pressure, triglyceride levels, blood viscosity, and clotting, heart rhythm, and overall risks of strokes and heart attacks. Many Americans consume diets that are dangerously out of balance regarding the ratio between omega-3 and omega-6 fats. Dr. Ohhira’s Essential Living Oils is a vegan alternative to fish oil, which provides a healthy ratio of essential fats formulated from eight natural plant and seed oils.

Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics® is a fermented food product that delivers probiotics, prebiotics, and over 400 postbiotic metabolites.x It is well established that Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics is a very effective product for correcting dysbiosis-related gastrointestinal problems and for the maintenance of GI health.

Numerous studies have reported on the association between gut dysbiosis and heart disease.xi Dysbiosis can influence multiple pathways that can contribute to the progression of both atherosclerosis and high blood pressure. One of the major contributors is dysbiosis-induced intestinal permeability which allows lipopolysaccharides (LPS) to leak into systemic circulation. Elevated levels of circulating LPS result in inflammation and are directly linked to cardiovascular disease risks.xii Thus, maintaining gastrointestinal health and a healthy microbiome are important factors for the maintenance of a healthy heart reducing risks for cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Ohhira’s Propolis Plus® is a product that contains Brazilian Green Propolis, astaxanthin, flaxseed oil, and an extract of Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics. These ingredients provide anti-inflammatory, immune and antioxidant activity, which also provides strong support of cardiovascular health.

ii Mikelsaar et al., 2009. Lactobacillus fermentum ME-3: an anti-microbial and anti-oxidative probiotic. Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease, vol. 21(1), pp. 1-27.
iii Damy T, et al. Glutathione Deficiency in Cardiac Patients Is Related to the Functional Status and Structural Cardiac Abnormalities. PLoS One. 2009;4(3):e4871.
iv Gao S and Liu J. Association between circulating oxidized low-density lipoprotein and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Chronic Dis Transl Med. 2017 Jun 25;3(2):89-94.
v Graham IM, et al. Plasma Homocysteine as a Risk Factor for Vascular Disease. JAMA. 1997;277(22):1775-1781.
vi Kumar A, et al. Role of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) in cardiac disease, hypertension and Meniere-like syndrome. Pharmacology & Therapeutics. Dec 2009;124(3):259-268.
vii Rumberger EM, et al. Pantethine a derivative of vitamin B5, favorably alters total, LDL and non-HDL cholesterol in low to moderate cardiovascular risk subjects eligible for statin therapy: a triple-blinded placebo and diet-controlled investigation. Vasc Health Risk Manag. 2014 Feb 27;10:89-100.
viii Eshak ES, Arafa AE. Thiamine deficiency and cardiovascular disorders. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2018 Oct;28(10):965-972.
ix Rushworth G and Megson IL. Existing and potential therapeutic uses for N-acetylcysteine: The need for conversion to intracellular glutathione for antioxidant benefits. Pharmacology & Therapeutics. Feb 2014;141(2):150-159.
x Metabolomic Analysis conducts at Human Metabolome Technology Japan, Inc. 2016.
xi Lau K. et al. Bridging the Gap between Gut Microbial Dysbiosis and Cardiovascular Diseases. Nutrients. 2017 Aug;9(8):859.
xii Thevaranjan N, et al. Age-Associated Microbial Dysbiosis Promotes Intestinal Permeability, Systemic Inflammation, and Macrophage Dysfunction. Cell Host & Microbe. April 12, 2017;21:455-466.