[ad_1]
People who have coronary artery disease (CAD) or who are trying to avoid it often ask their doctors if supplements can help. Unfortunately, research shows that supplements – these are vitamins, minerals, herbs and some dietary extracts – cannot prevent or improve CAD, the most common type of heart disease. And in some cases, these pills can harm you.
“Patients often think, ‘Can I take this supplement so I don’t have to exercise or eat broccoli or fruit and vegetables?'” Says Stephen Kopetsky, Ph.D., a preventive cardiologist and professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic. in Rochester. , MN. “And I will say, ‘There is no supplement to replace lifestyle.’ [changes]. ””
What do the best expert groups say about supplements?
To reduce your chances of heart disease, the American Heart Association advises healthy people to eat a balanced diet, not supplements.
The U.S. Preventive Services Working Group (USPSTF), a group of disease prevention and evidence-based medicine experts, says there is not enough evidence to recommend for or against taking vitamin and mineral supplements to prevent heart disease.
“There are many studies in this area, but they all show that supplements do not benefit the cardiovascular system and in some cases cause harm,” said Erin Donelli Michos, MD, cardiologist and associate professor at Johns Hopkins Medical School in Baltimore.
The USPSTF advises not to use vitamin E, which it says is useless. They also warn of beta carotene, which can increase, not decrease, your chances of dying from heart disease or stroke.
What are the risks of taking supplements?
On the one hand, the supplement may interfere with medications you are taking for coronary artery disease or other health conditions. For example, if you take fish oil supplements while on blood thinners, the combination can increase the risk of dangerous bleeding, says Michos.
That’s why it’s important to tell your doctor about any supplements – including vitamins – you already use so they can check for possible interactions and side effects, she says. Always talk to your doctor before trying a new supplement.
Another risk of supplements is that some of them may increase your chances of other unintended health consequences. For example, in people who take calcium supplements, some, but not all, studies show a higher risk of heart attack, says Michos. A review of the studies she is working on also found an increased risk of stroke in people who take calcium with vitamin D supplements. Calcium-rich foods, on the other hand, don’t seem to carry any of those risks, she said.
The quality of the supplements also varies. The FDA does not regulate supplements as strictly as drugs. The Agency does not review safety supplements before they are put on the market. He treats them more like food.
Instead, it is up to manufacturers and distributors of supplements to make sure their products are safe before selling them. Only when the supplement turns out to be dangerous do the authorities withdraw it from the market, says Michos. This means that an additive is likely to contain ingredients that are not listed on the label, to be contaminated or to contain a stronger or weaker dose of the active ingredient than indicated on the label.
“[Supplements] “They are not inspected by the FDA, so we are not very sure what is in many of them, especially in those in other countries,” Kopetsky said.
The FDA also does not test supplements for effectiveness. If you’ve heard or read that a particular supplement can help prevent coronary artery disease, there’s probably not much scientific evidence to support this. In fact, federal law prohibits food supplement labels from claiming that a product cures, prevents, or cures a disease.
Can fish oil supplements make your heart good?
Some fish – such as salmon, sardines and cod – contain heart-healthy fats called omega-3s. Many people with heart disease ask if fish oil supplements can help, Kopetsky said.
But, he says, over-the-counter fish oil supplements.[haven’t] has been shown to consistently differentiate ”against coronary heart disease. And higher doses of prescription fish oil are associated with a type of irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation.
However, the American Heart Association says fish oil supplements may be worth considering for some people with heart disease who do not get enough omega-3s from their diet. But they should first talk to their doctor to check for interactions and weigh the pros and cons.
Is a healthy diet more important than supplements?
Absolutely. If you live with coronary artery disease or are trying to prevent it, focus on eating a variety of nutritious foods, experts say.
There is nothing healthier than eating a minimally processed, heart-healthy diet, says Michos. She recommends the Mediterranean or DASH diet. Both focus on foods such as fruits, vegetables, fish and whole grains, while limiting things like refined carbohydrates, sugary drinks and processed meats. If you do not eat meat, a healthy plant-based diet would also meet the requirements.
Americans get too many of their calories from overprocessed foods, Kopetsky says. “These are things like ‘open and eat,’ ‘ready to eat,’ ‘warm and eat’ things,” he says.
If your diet is not healthy now, you do not need to review it for a day. “It’s better to make small, sustainable changes that you can live with for a long time,” Kopetsky said.
“It has been proven that even small changes in diet are beneficial,” he says. “This means that if you take a bite of processed meat and replace it on your plate with a bite of something we know is better for you,” then in a few years it actually reduces the risk of heart attack. So, little things. “
If you need extra help to change your eating habits, you can ask your doctor to refer you to a dietitian.
[ad_2]
Source link