Healthy Heartbeats

A recent blog from AdventHealth highlighted five superfoods to boost heart health. Two of those mentioned, Swiss chard and carrots, are known to be nutritious but aren’t necessarily known for their contribution to cardiovascular health. According to the article, Swiss chard is rich in potassium and magnesium, which helps control blood pressure, and this leafy green also contains lutein and zeaxanthin, two heart-healthy antioxidants. Carrots contain soluble fiber that may help to lower cholesterol levels.

Heart health has always been a concern for many consumers, but like the Swiss chard and carrot association, there are aspects of heart health that are not as widely known. Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, claiming an estimated 17.9 million lives annually, as reported by the World Health Organization. But did you know that while cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women, the American Heart Association (AHA) states that only 44% of women recognize that cardiovascular disease is their greatest health threat?

In addition to women, younger generations are growing more concerned with heart health. In the United States, diabetes and obesity (two risk factors of cardiovascular disease) increased among young adults from 2009 to March 2020 (Aggarwal et al. 2023). According to an AHA and American Diabetes Association survey, three-quarters of U.S. adults ages 18 to 23 fret that ill health will impinge on their life experiences. By contrast, only 63% of baby boomers (56 years old and older) are worried.

New Science Insights

Even with established heart-healthy diets and ingredients, research is shedding light on additional heart benefits. The Mediterranean diet, for example, one of the most popular diets that promotes heart health, has recently published research supporting its effect on lowering hypertension. Researchers assessing the long-term impact of adherence to the Mediterranean diet on the incidence of hypertension over a 20-year period showed that a high adherence to the diet was associated with a lower incidence of hypertension (Georgoulis et al. 2024).

Familiar ingredients that consumers associate with a heart-healthy lifestyle include dietary fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, phytosterols, soy protein, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), and beta-glucans. Some help lower cholesterol, maintain blood pressure, or are cardioprotective. However, there are also some persistent consumer misperceptions around the contributions of protein to a heart-healthy diet. AHA points out that among the protein myths is the fear of eating eggs due to concerns around cholesterol intake. They frequently remind consumers that they can enjoy one to two eggs per day as a high-quality protein without adverse effects on heart health. AHA also points out the mistake of ignoring plant protein, noting that plants have more protein than consumers think. This includes nuts, beans, rice, oatmeal, and vegetables like peas and broccoli. They suggest that consumers get protein from different sources to maximize nutrients, such as omega-3s from seafood and choline from eggs.

Emerging Cardio-Boosting Ingredients

While there is news for consumers regarding heart health and mainstream heart-healthy ingredients and foods, there is myriad new research identifying emerging ingredients for heart health.

Hemp protein. One recent study has suggested that hemp seed protein consumption, as well as in combination with its hydrolysate-derived bioactive peptides, may have a role in the dietary management of hypertension (Samsamikor et al. 2024). Thirty-five adults who had mild hypertension were recruited for the study. Compared to the control (casein), after consumption of both hemp seed protein and hemp seed protein plus its bioactive peptide, both 24-hour systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure decreased.

Probiotics and prebiotics. With the current interest in gut health, the link between gut microbiota and heart health is evolving. In one review, researchers summarized published studies to illustrate the potential underlying mechanisms of the beneficial effects of pro- and prebiotics, which could be considered as a promising intervention strategy to prevent or improve cardiovascular disease (Wu and Chiou 2021). They noted that the levels of LDL cholesterol and C-reactive protein, two cardiovascular disease markers, were significantly improved by the introduction of various probiotic strains and prebiotics. In addition, numerous studies suggested that probiotics and prebiotics protect against cardiovascular disease by altering gut microbiota and intervening in inflammatory responses.

Hydroxytyrosol. Olives are a part of the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet. One of its extracts, hydroxytyrosol, has research backing its heart-healthy benefits. Recently, scientists investigated the effect of hydroxytyrosol supplementation (15 mg Mediteanox, Euromed) in stroke patients (Naranjo et al. 2024). Results demonstrated that daily administration of hydroxytyrosol after a stroke could improve certain biochemical and oxidative-stress-related parameters, including blood pressure. Specifically, hydroxytyrosol reduced the levels of apolipoproteins associated with cardiovascular risk, suggesting a protective vascular effect. There were significant changes in the expression of proteins involved in inflammation and lipid metabolism, which may be related to the neuroprotective and vascular protective effects of hydroxytyrosol. The pilot study suggested that hydroxytyrosol could be beneficial in the therapy of stroke patients.

Folate. This nutrient is important during pregnancy but has also recently been shown to be beneficial for the heart. In a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, researchers showed that folic acid supplementation significantly decreased systolic and diastolic blood pressure, demonstrating overall the beneficial effects of folic acid supplementation on blood pressure (Asbaghi et al. 2023). Dose-response analysis showed that folic acid supplementation changed systolic and diastolic blood pressure significantly based on dose and duration.

Cocoa. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials looking at the effects of cocoa consumption on cardiometabolic risk markers found that the consumption of cocoa showed protective effects that have a clinical impact in terms of cardiovascular risk reduction (Arisi et al. 2024). The clinical trials involved adults consuming either cocoa extract or ≥70% cocoa dark chocolate for about 4 weeks. Specifically, results showed a reduction in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure.

Aged garlic extracts. Aged garlic extracts have been shown to reduce blood pressure in people with hypertension. Aged black garlic is a whole raw garlic bulb (Allium sativum L.) that has been aged under controlled temperatures for a certain period of time, affecting the accumulation of garlic’s bioactive complex of antioxidant compounds, like polyphenols and flavonoids. Results of a new clinical study confirmed the blood pressure balancing effect of an aged black garlic extract (Serrano et al. 2023). It was also observed via blood serum tests that ABG10+ supplementation may boost the release of nitric oxide and increase the body’s antioxidant capacity.

Research presented at this past April’s 7th International Garlic Symposium showed that another aged garlic extract (Kyolic AGE, Wakunaga of America) slowed arterial plaque formation by 80%, reduced soft plaque, and reversed some components of atherosclerosis. Although publication is still pending, researchers noted that another finding was the improvement of peripheral tissue perfusion in patients with atherosclerosis.ft