For many years people have understood that vitamins and minerals are important for the human body. Mothers and grandmothers have told us to take our vitamins and this has been handed down through generations. It is interesting however, that there was little research to support this 50 and more years ago. Was it intuition that kept this alive or response to using nutrients? At any rate, it has always been a very good idea.

 

Here we shall discuss vitamins and their importance in protecting the heart and blood vessels.

 

Thousands of studies over the past 20 to 30 years have shown that vitamins and minerals are necessary in normal functions of the body, and when used appropriately can confer further protection against potentially devastating diseases. The mechanism of action of nutrients, in most cases is extremely complex, but some of it can be explained in simple fashion.

 

Many of the vitamins act as antioxidants, here they attach to and "inactivate" free radicals. These reactive substances can damage healthy tissue by stealing electrons from various atoms. The loss of electrons is called oxidation, hence, the term "Anti Oxidants".

 

Free radicals have been implicated in cancer development and progression, adding the bad LDL cholesterol to the blood vessel walls, and creating progressive degeneration of function in all cells and tissues. Vitamin C is one of the most important free radical scavengers. Research describes that Vitamin C can help prevent, AND also help repair blood vessel damage.

 

In the case of  Homocysteine, a plaque and inflammation promoter, it can be " deactivated" by appropriate amounts of B6, B12, and Folate in the diet. The range of nutrient needed for each individual varies where recommendations for dose is dependent on observing blood Homocysteine levels decline.

 

Other nutrients involved in cardiovascular protection include Vit A, Vit E, Magnesium, Potassium, Selenium, Glutathione, Vit D, Bioflavonoids, Beta Carotene, and the list goes on and on.

Please see the attached articles to understand the significance of vitamins and minerals.

 

Take home message -- You can't get all of the vitamins that you need to really protect yourself from eating foods. We need to take nutrients to constantly protect our cells and tissues. Supplementation is essential to achieve optimal health. Everyone has different individual requirements for nutrients, depending on age, exercise levels, size and digestive ability. Blood testing for vitamins and minerals is an important way to evaluate nutrient density. Using supplements that have a great track record and have been used successfully can make a big difference.

Written by Dr. Calapai

http://www.drcalapai.net