Image by Sophia from Pixabay
Howdy all!
Well, we’ve made it to February which means that this month, we’re focusing on the heart. If you missed Dr. S’s intro blog for this, you can find it here. Simply put, your heart does A LOT for you, and over the course of our lives, handles most of the stressors we place on it. But because it does tend to take quite a bit of the stress we produce, that means sometimes it also needs a little extra love. Remember what was said last week: your heart is PERFECTLY CAPABLE of healing and responds well to nutritional support. In fact, it is one of the fastest acting responders in our whole body. Pretty cool! So, what can we do nutritionally? This month, I’m going to have us look at two great broad-spectrum products, starting today with Cardio-Plus®. Standard Process has been making this love-ly product since 1956, and it has some great backing behind it. Let’s dive in.
What:
Cardio-Plus® is a combination product, meant to provide a wide range support for the heart. It’s a source of vitamin B2, vitamin C, and the specific fraction of vitamin E that works against angina. It also is a naturally occurring source of CoQ10, one of the most important antioxidants for proper energy production in the body. Your heart uses up a LOT of CoQ10, so in cases where it is already under a bit of pressure, it helps to add an outside source like this! It also contains bovine heart extracts, which help to rebuild the heart in cases where it has been exhausted a bit.
How:
Depending on the acuteness of the case, it’s recommended to take anywhere between 1-4 per meal. The dosage is something that we determine when you come in for a consultation!
Where:
These are available in the office typically, and as always, available for online ordering through our website here. There is a gluten-free option as well, if needed.
Why:
So much of what we as “alternative” healthcare providers are checking for is tied strongly to your heart. For instance, blood pressure can be used to evaluate adrenal function. Changes in the diastolic pressure, the lower number in the blood pressure reading, often gives an indication of kidney function. Your heart rate and rhythm are also clues to not only the status of your heart, but also other body systems like blood glucose levels. When we consider ways to make the heart stronger and more efficient, there are some key vitamins that work particularly well. As I said above, this product, Cardio-Plus, encompasses components in whole food sources. Here’s why those particular components are supportive for your heart. Vitamin B2 is a vasodilator, meaning it helps relax your blood vessels, effectively lowering your blood pressure, and relieving some of the pressure on your heart. The B2 product that Standard Process uses in Cardio-Plus also includes choline, the primary precursor to the enzyme cholinesterase. Cholinesterase acts to break down one of your neurotransmitters, WHICH IN THIS CASE IS A GOOD THING. We NEED that signal to slow down and reset, so a normal heart rhythm can be restored. The isolate of vitamin E used in this product, Standard Process labels as “E2,” and it is great for tissue oxygenation, so that your heart can more efficiently use the oxygen it is receiving. Vitamin C is added because in its complete complex, it includes factors that support vascular integrity and increased oxygen capacity in the blood. The complete complex is only available in whole food sources, which is one of the significant reasons you want your supplements to be made from food, not synthetics. (Another reason to love Standard Process. More on that another time!) The final piece of the puzzle for this product? It contains bovine heart muscle extract, which helps to increase the absorption range of your cell membrane. In other words, your heart cells use your nutrients more effectively. Usually, we activate a higher absorption range by exercising. But if you are wiped out already, it can be difficult to get started without a little boost.
You may be thinking, now Abbey, all of these Standard Process products sound amazing! Shouldn’t we be taking ALL of them?? Here’s the deal folks: our bodies are unique and they are SMART. They know which nutrients will support them best. When you chat with us about these things, we’ll ask your body some questions through some brief tests, and it’ll tell us what it needs. Because the truth is, you shouldn’t need to throw 20 bajillion things at your body to make it work. If we can find the key, the beautiful self-healing mechanism that your body holds will work to restore the rest. If it seems like your heart may be the key, check in. We’re always looking forward to seeing you!
Cheers to better health! Simple steps forward, not easy ones!
Abbey, BS, CNC