Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., so who wouldn’t want to do what they can to lower the risk? While you may already know about choices such as eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and avoiding tobacco use, what do you know about how garlic, fish oil, and coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10, may affect your heart?
These are three ingredients that may support heart health. You can get them from food, but dietary supplements can have higher amounts or be easier to take.* Be sure to ask your healthcare provider before taking any dietary supplements, and feel good knowing you are supporting your own health.
How Garlic, Fish Oil, and Coenzyme Q10 Can Affect the Heart
When talking about cardiovascular heart, there is more to consider than the heart on its own. There are also blood vessels that carry blood to and from the heart and the other areas of your body. It is not surprising that there are a variety of ways to affect heart health.
Improved Cholesterol Levels:* High total or “bad” LDL cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease, as is low “good” HDL cholesterol. Garlic consumption and fish oil may support healthier cholesterol levels, which can lower heart disease risk.*
Lower Blood Pressure:* High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects nearly half of American adults. It is a risk factor for heart attacks and stroke. Garlic has been linked to lower blood pressure, possibly by reducing the activity of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE).
Less Plaque Build-Up:* Too much cholesterol in the blood can lead to plaque in the arterial walls. When the plaque builds up, it can reduce blood flow or even break off and completely block blood flow.
Lower Risk of Blood Clots:* A blood clot can lead to a heart attack or stroke, but fish oil or garlic may help support normal blood structure and function. That may, in turn, lower the risk of blood clots developing and blocking a blood vessel.
Improvements During Heart Failure:* In particular, CoQ10 has been studied as a way to improve quality of life among patients with heart failure. It may help support normal oxygenation and help maintain function.
It is important to remember that you should talk to your healthcare provider about any concerns about your heart health or any other area of your health.
Other Benefits of Garlic, Fish Oil, and Coenzyme Q10
Your body is a whole system, and compounds that support heart health can also have other effects. These are some other possible benefits of getting enough garlic, fish oil, and CoQ10 in your diet.*
- Support normal immune function.
- Promote normal brain health and function.
- Support healthy blood sugar levels.
It is hard to know exactly how these nutrients and foods can work. For garlic, one of the active compounds is allium. It is a compound that is also in foods such as onions and shallots.
Getting These Foods in Your Diet
How can you get more garlic, fish oil, and coenzyme Q10 in your diet? Here are some ways.
Garlic: Garlic lovers, rejoice. There are so many amazing ways to use garlic, and some of them can use a lot of garlic! For example, what if you roast an entire head of garlic and then use the soft pulp as a spread? You can also blend roasted garlic into pureed eggplant dip or hummus, or into other spreads or dips.
Garlic is also great in a variety of other types of dishes, such as these.
- Garlic mashed potatoes or pureed cauliflower.
- Sliced and scattered onto vegetables before roasting them.
- As a base for soup, especially with onions.
- In spaghetti sauce or atop pasta with olive oil.
- On tacos or in ground beef when making burgers or meatloaf.
- Peeled and diced in salad dressings.
Remember that allium, an active compound in garlic, is most active when garlic is freshly chopped. So, you are best off using fresh garlic and incorporating it quickly after you peel and chop it.
Fish Oil:
Fatty fish is the best dietary source of fish oil. Tuna, mackerel, sardines, herring, trout, and salmon are some examples. Less fatty fish and shellfish, such as tilapia, swai, shrimp, and oysters, have some fish oil, but not as much as in fatty fish.
Coenzyme Q10
High-protein foods are highest in CoQ10. Organ meats are especially rich sources, but fish, chicken, beans, and soy products also contain it.
Dietary Supplements as an Easy Solution
Are you getting plenty of garlic, fish oil, and CoQ10 from your diet every day? Chances are, you could be getting more. Netrition has dietary supplements that can contain high amounts of these compounds without having to worry about the amounts in foods you consume.*
Garlic Supplements: NOW Garlic includes 250 softgels that are easy to swallow, and there’s another benefit for people who fear garlic. These softgels are odorless.
Fish Oil Supplements: There are all kinds of options for fish oil supplements. You can take fish oil as oil, such as Cod Liver Oil. There are also soft gel options, as well as easy-to-swallow capsules. You can also opt for pleasant-tasting squeeze gels, or avoid swallowing your fish oil entirely by using a topical patch, which allows nutrients to enter the bloodstream directly. Some other things to look for in your supplement are other nutrients, such as vitamin D or vitamin A, the source of the fish oil, such as krill oil, and a supplement that guarantees no fishy aftertaste, if that is important to you.
Coenzyme Q10 Supplements: CoQ10 supplements can be easy to swallow when they come in soft gel forms, but you can also opt for topical patches if you prefer. Netrition also has CoQ10 supplements with additional ingredients, such as red yeast rice.
There is always more to do when it comes to heart health, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. Getting more garlic, fish oil, and CoQ10 is easy at Netrition, where you have plenty of options and fast delivery. Just ask your healthcare provider which may be best for you to use.
*The Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated these statements. Netrition products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Anyone with a medical condition should seek the advice of a licensed medical practitioner. Individual results may vary.
