Many Supplements Useful for Patients in Early Heart Failure
Heart failure is a common condition in which the heart becomes less efficient in pumping blood to the body. Heart failure is treated with a number of drugs such as water pills (diuretics) or drugs that lower blood pressure such as ACE inhibitors (such as Capoten, Vasotec, Zestril, Univasc, and Altace). Generally drug treatment is only moderately successful for heart failure.
Many heart failure patients are low in many nutrients including potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, b-vitamins, coenzyme Q10 and amino acids such as l-carnitine, creatine and l-taurine. Many of these nutrients are needed for optimum functioning of the muscle cells in the heart. A number of studies have reported that broad based supplementation with a wide range of nutrients including magnesium, zinc, high dose b-complex vitamins and coenzyme Q10 can often help improve heart function in heart failure patients. Such a supplementation regime can improve the metabolic pathways in the heart muscle cells, thereby improving pumping efficiency of the heart and reducing the problems associated with heart failure.
Heart failure diets need a well balanced diet with a good source of protein 3 times daily (lean meat, fish, poultry, low fat dairy products) and at least 5 servings a day of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. The high level of potassium found in fruits and vegetables improve heart function and control high blood pressure. Heart failure patients should also get a good nutritional supplementation program which includes ample zinc, magnesium, potassium, b-vitamins, coenzyme Q10 and amino acids such as taurine, creatine and carnitine. One supplement that has been used successfully in several published studies to significantly improve heart function in heart failure patients is called MyoVive. A one days dose of this broad based formula contains 3.0 grams of l-carnitine, 150 milligrams of coenzyme Q10, 3.0 grams of taurine, 2.25 grams of creatine, 750 milligrams of potassium, 15 milligrams of zinc and fairly high doses of b-vitamins including 25 milligrams of thiamine.
For a good review of nutrition research and heart failure patients- please see the review by Soukoulis et al. in the October 27, 2009 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.