Supplements That Energize The Heart

[Guest guest]

Supplements That Energize The Heart-------The report is at

http://www.thenutritionreporter.com/heal_a_failing_heart.html

 

CoQ10. Also known as ubiquinone, CoQ10 serves two principal functions: it

helps shuttle around energy-containing electrons in the mitochondria,

leading to the production of ATP, and it is also an antioxidant. CoQ10 is so

important that it was the basis of the 1978 Nobel prize in chemistry,

awarded to the late Peter Mitchell, Ph.D.

 

CoQ10 is found in every cell of the body, though people with cardiomyopathy

and heart failure typically have low levels of it. It's not surprising that

replenishing CoQ10 improves heart function in these patients.

 

In one typical study, Langsjoen and his colleagues used CoQ10 supplements to

treat 11 heart failure patients who were likely candidates for transplant

surgery. All of the patients improved, some regaining normal heart function

and being able to cease taking conventional heart medications. More

recently, in the Molecular Aspects of Medicine, Langsjoen reported 200 mg of

CoQ10 daily helpful in the treatment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which

is characterized by a thickening and stiffening of the heart muscle.

 

Dosage: 240-360 mg daily in divided doses.

 

Carnitine. A component of protein, carnitine helps transport fats into

mitochondria, where they are burned for energy. It also regulates the use of

coenzyme A, an energy-producing compound built around the B-vitamin

pantothenic acid.

 

In a recent study, Ioannis Rizos, M.D., of the University of Athens Medical

School, Greece, studied 70 patients who took either 2 grams of carnitine or

a placebo daily for three years. The patients suffered from heart failure

resulting from dilated cardiomyopathy. Those who took carnitine had a much

better rate of survival compared with those taking the placebo. Over the

three-year study, six of the patients taking placebos died, whereas all but

one of the patients taking carnitine survived. In addition, only one patient

in the carnitine group developed arrhythmias, compared with seven in the

placebo group.

 

Dosage: 2 grams daily in divided doses.

 

Creatine. Used by many body builders to improve endurance, creatine plays an

important role in recycling and reusing ATP. After cells use ATP to produce

energy for muscle contractions, it is converted to ADP (adenosine

diphosphate). Creatine donates a phosphorus molecule to convert ADP back to

ATP, thus restoring energy levels. Studies on patients with heart failure

have found that creatine supplementation do not directly benefit the heart,

but it does increase energy levels in skeletal muscle, resulting in an

overall improvement.

 

Dosage: Loading dose of 20 grams daily for 10 days, followed by a

maintenance dose of 5 grams daily.

 

Vitamin B1. Patients with heart failure are commonly deficient in vitamin B1

(thiamine), needed for several key energy-producing chemical reactions. This

deficiency can be exacerbated with furosemide, a diuretic drug commonly used

to treat heart failure. Several studies have found that vitamin B1 can

improve heart function in heart failure. In one , David Ezra, M.D., of the

Sheba Medical Center, Israel, found that both oral supplements and

intravenous vitamin B1 corrected deficiencies induced by furosemide and

improved the pumping action of the patients' hearts.

 

Dosage: 100-200 mg daily in divided dosages.

 

Arginine. Rainer Hambrecht, M.D., of the Leipzig Heart Center, Germany,

recently treated 40 patients with either 8 grams of the amino acid arginine

daily, handgrip exercises, or both. After four weeks, patients taking either

the supplements or performing the exercises benefited from a four-fold

improvement in heart function. Patients doing both had a six-fold

improvement.

 

Dosage: 8 grams daily in divided dosages.

 

* * *

 

Each of these supplements is safe when used to prevent heart disease. When

used therapeutically to treat cardiomyopathy or heart failure, some caution

is warranted, says Langsjoen. The reason is that cardiomyopathy and heart

failure are among the most serious of all heart diseases.

 

Prescription drugs for these diseases work by masking symptoms or forcing

the heart to work harder. In contrast, CoQ10, carnitine, and the other

supplements naturally strengthen heart function. To avoid over-stimulating

your heart, you will likely have to reduce your risk of heart drugs. Such

adjustments in medications, says Langsjoen, should be done with the guidance

of a cardiologist or other physician skilled in nutritional therapies and

knowledgeable about drug-nutrient interactions.

[Guest guest]

---Lorenzo, I would differ with the author of this article on the

efficacy of Creatine when used as an aid in coronary heart disease.

Creatine will create other problems when taken over the long term for

it is known to work by shifting bodily fluids around from one part of

the body to the other (beneficial for body builders) but will

eventually lead to bodily dehydration with long term use.

This is one of those supplements currently under investigation by the

FDA. There are so many others that one can use safely for heart

problems, I wouldn't touch it nor would I advise anyone else to use

it, for as we get older we need an x amount of fluids daily in order

to maintain a smooth artery flow,... this is even more crucial when

artery flow is compromised by excessive plaque buildup.

Any benefits derived from this supplement would just not be worth in

my opinion as it has proven to have so many other undesirable side

effects.

Just my two cents.

I have an article around somewhere regarding this,

but just thought I'd share the basics.

 

Best Regards,

JoAnn Guest

mrsjoguest

Friendsforhealthnaturally

DietaryTipsForHBP

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/AIM.html

 

 

In Gettingwell, " Lorenzo " <lorenzo1@w...> wrote:

> Supplements That Energize The Heart-------The report is at

> http://www.thenutritionreporter.com/heal_a_failing_heart.html

 

> Creatine. Used by many body builders to improve endurance, creatine

plays an

> important role in recycling and reusing ATP. After cells use ATP to

produce

> energy for muscle contractions, it is converted to ADP (adenosine

> diphosphate). Creatine donates a phosphorus molecule to convert ADP

back to

> ATP, thus restoring energy levels. Studies on patients with heart

failure

> have found that creatine supplementation do not directly benefit

the heart,

> but it does increase energy levels in skeletal muscle, resulting in

an

> overall improvement.

 

> Each of these supplements is safe when used to prevent heart

disease. When

> used therapeutically to treat cardiomyopathy or heart failure, some

caution

> is warranted, says Langsjoen. The reason is that cardiomyopathy and

heart

> failure are among the most serious of all heart diseases.

>

> Prescription drugs for these diseases work by masking symptoms or

forcing

> the heart to work harder. In contrast, CoQ10, carnitine, and the

other

> supplements naturally strengthen heart function. To avoid over-

stimulating

> your heart, you will likely have to reduce your risk of heart

drugs. Such

> adjustments in medications, says Langsjoen, should be done with the

guidance

> of a cardiologist or other physician skilled in nutritional

therapies and

> knowledgeable about drug-nutrient interactions.