Some supplements shown to improve cardiovascular health in a recent study

Antioxidants such as amino acids, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin C are abundant in healthy diets, yet the impact of these micronutrients on cardiovascular health has long been the subject of debate. Now, a newly published meta-analysis in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology gives clarification.

The data from a total of 884 trials on micronutrients taken as dietary supplements were evaluated and analyzed by researchers. They discovered a number of micronutrients that lower cardiovascular risk, as well as others that provide no benefit or perhaps have a detrimental impact. More than 883 thousand participants participated in the combined research.

We constructed a comprehensive, evidence-based integrative map for the first time to describe and quantify the possible impacts of micronutrient supplementation on cardiometabolic outcomes. The research emphasizes the significance of micronutrient variety and the equilibrium between health benefits and hazards.

The results might serve as the foundation for future clinical studies examining the effect of particular combinations of micronutrients on cardiovascular health.

Antioxidant supplements have long been believed to contribute to heart health. This is due to the fact that these nutrients lower oxidative stress, a recognized contributor to a variety of cardiovascular illnesses. Diets that are beneficial for the cardiovascular system, such as the Mediterranean diet and the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH), include foods that are naturally high in antioxidants. Inconsistent outcomes from trials of antioxidant supplements are one reason why this method has not yet been extensively embraced in preventive cardiology.

The majority of research on micronutrient supplementation has focused on the health impacts of a single or a small number of vitamins and minerals. It was determined to adopt a thorough and systematic approach to evaluating all the publicly accessible and available research documenting the effects of micronutrients, including phytochemicals and antioxidant supplements, on cardiovascular risk factors and numerous cardiovascular illnesses.

The researchers analyzed 27 randomized, controlled intervention studies assessing various antioxidant supplements. They discovered compelling evidence that several had cardiovascular benefits. Omega-3 fatty acid reduced death from cardiovascular disease, folic acid decreased stroke risk, and coenzyme Q10, an antioxidant frequently branded as CoQ10, decreased mortality from all causes. Omega-6 fatty acid, L-arginine, L-citrulline, Vitamin D, magnesium, zinc, alpha-lipoic acid, melatonin, catechin, curcumin, flavanol, genistein, and quercetin were also shown to reduce cardiovascular risk.

Not every supplement was advantageous. Vitamins C, D, E, and selenium had no influence on cardiovascular disease outcomes or type-2 diabetes risk over the long term. And beta carotene supplementation increased mortality from all causes.

The results indicate, according to the researchers, the necessity for more tailored, precision-based dietary therapies using particular combinations of healthful supplements. To evaluate the long-term effects of certain micronutrients on health, further research is required, especially large, high-quality interventional studies.

Identifying the right combination of micronutrients is essential, since not all of them are useful and some may even be detrimental.

References –

Peng An, Sitong Wan, Yongting Luo, Junjie Luo, Xu Zhang, Shuaishuai Zhou, Teng Xu, Jingjing He, Jeffrey I. Mechanick, Wen-Chih Wu, Fazheng Ren, Simin Liu. Micronutrient Supplementation to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2022; 80 (24): 2269 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2022.09.048