Heart Healthy Suppliment

As a recent quintuple bypass patient, I wanted to take a couple of minutes to share a recommendation I got from the American Heart Association.

It's important that healthy people get adequate nutrients by eating a variety of foods in moderation. In addition to an 81Mg Aspirin, one supplement that I have been taking is for omega-3 fatty acid.

The Dietary Recommended Intakes (DRIs) published by the Institute of Medicine are the best available estimates of safe and adequate dietary intakes. Almost any nutrient can be potentially toxic if consumed in large quantities over a long time. Interactions between dietary supplements and prescription drugs and among several dietary supplements taken at the same time may occur. Too much iron can increase the risk of chronic disease, and too much vitamin A can cause birth defects.

There aren’t sufficient data to suggest that healthy people benefit by taking certain vitamin or mineral supplements in excess of the DRIs. While some observational studies have suggested that lower rates of cardiovascular disease and/or lower risk factor levels result in populations who use vitamin or mineral supplements, it isn’t clear if this is due to the supplements. For example, supplement users may be less overweight and more physically active.

Fish intake has been associated with decreased risk of heart disease. On the basis of available data, the American Heart Association recommends that patients without documented heart disease eat a variety of fish – preferably omega-3-containing fish – at least twice a week. Examples of these types of fish include salmon, herring and trout.

Patients with documented heart disease are advised to consume about 1 gram of EPA + DHA (types of omega-3 fatty acids), preferably from fish, althouth EPA+DHA supplements could be considered, but consult with a physician first.

For people with high triglycerides (blood fats), 2 to 4 grams of EPA + DHA per day, in the form of capsules and under a physician’s care, are recommended.