Español
YOU’VE BEEN LIED TO ABOUT HEART HEALTH. The common advice most people receive about protecting their heart is incomplete or misleading. No, we aren’t implying that anyone is set out to deceive on purpose. The usual standard advice “exercise more, eat better, and don’t smoke” leaves out important pieces of the bigger picture. It’s like telling someone to “save your money” without explaining how to actually do it or invest. The data show that nearly half of all adults in the United States have some form of cardiovascular disease, and this includes people who exercise every day and follow what they consider a perfect diet.
The reason is that heart health depends on more than just basic lifestyle choices. It also involves specific nutrients, focused forms of support, and lesser-known habits that most people only discover once they are already in a cardiologist’s office. The blog post will cover 6 heart health habits that are rarely discussed but are important to understand right now. The uncomfortable truth is that heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States and affects nearly half of all adults. It is not just a problem for sedentary, fast-food eaters and couch dwellers. Athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and self-proclaimed “health freaks” get heart disease too.
That’s where Buy Nutritionals comes in. We’ve spent years cutting pharmaceutical-grade cardiovascular supplements from USANA Health Sciences products like BiOmega, CoQuinone 100. Proflavanol C100, Circulate+, and Vitamin K12 target the exact nutrients most people are missing. These are the 6 heart health habits that cardiologists wish more patients knew about, and specific supplements from Buy Nutritionals that can help you implement them.
Did You Know?
- 1 in 2 adults (48.9%) in the U.S. has some form of cardiovascular disease.
- Heart disease and stroke claimed more lives in 2023 than all forms of cancer and chronic lower respiratory disease combined.
- Coronary heart disease was the underlying cause of 349,470 U.S. deaths in 2023; that's 1 death every 90 seconds.
Habit #1: Check Your Omega-3 Intake
The first habit focuses on paying proper attention to omega-3 intake, even for people who already eat fish. You must have heard that eating fatty fish supports heart health. What they don’t know is that eating salmon only twice a week does not provide enough omega-3 fatty acids. The American Heart Association advises a daily intake of at least 260-500 mg of combined EPA and DHA for cardiovascular support. To hit that amount through food alone.
Reaching that amount through food alone would require:
- 3-4 servings of fatty fish each week, such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, or anchovies.
- Or eating fortified foods every day, which frequently contain added ingredients that some people prefer to avoid.
Why Do You Need Omega-3 For Your Heart?
The omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA support the heart through several different pathways:
Reduce Inflammation: They help reduce chronic inflammation, which is a major factor in the development of Atherosclerosis, the buildup of plaque inside the arteries.
Support Healthy Triglyceride Levels: They help keep triglyceride levels in a healthier range, which is important because high triglycerides are an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Improve Endothelial Function: They improve the function of the endothelium ( the inner lining of blood vessels), helping vessels relax properly and supporting healthier blood pressure.
Solution
If you’re not eating fatty fish 3-4 times each week, a high-quality fish oil supplement is worth considering.
USANA BiOmega provides 1050 mg of total omega-3s (580mg of EPA and 470mg of DHA) in two softgels, which is more than twice the minimum daily amount recommended for cardiovascular health.
Habit #2: Give Your Heart Muscle the Energy It Needs
Your heart muscle beats 100,000 times per day! That's 36.5 million beats per year. Your heart muscle cells need energy in the form of ATP molecules to beat this many times.
As you get older, your ability to make ATP decreases.
Many medications, such as the popular statin drugs that lower cholesterol, also reduce your body's ability to make ATP. What you might not know is that ATP production can be improved with a specific nutrient.
The Nutrient You Need: Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)
Why CoQ10 is Important to Your Heart
CoQ10 is a fat-soluble nutrient your body needs to make ATP. Your heart has more CoQ10 than any other organ because it requires so much ATP to beat 36.5 million times per year.
Research shows that CoQ10:
- Helps produce energy in heart muscle cells
- Acts as an antioxidant to protect the heart
- Helps maintain blood pressure within the normal range
- May help offset the negative effects of statin drugs on the heart
Solution
If you are over age 40, take statin drugs, or experience frequent fatigue, you should consider a daily CoQ10 supplement.
USANA CoQuinone 100 softgels provides 100 mg of pharmaceutical-grade CoQ10 to support the energy-producing functions of your heart muscle cells and act as an antioxidant to protect your heart.
Pro tip: Take CoQ10 supplements with a meal that has healthy fats (like avocado, olive oil, or nuts) to maximize absorption.
Habit #3: Protect Your Blood Vessels With Grape Seed Extract (Vasoprotective)
You know you need to take vitamin C and eat your berries to get your daily dose of antioxidants, right?
Most people, however, are deficient in one of the most powerful antioxidants available - grape seed extract.
Why grape seed extract is good for your heart:
- Grape seed extract is 20x more powerful than vitamin C and 50x more powerful than vitamin E as an antioxidant. But it has another benefit - it protects your blood vessels!
Grape seed extract helps:
- Make blood vessels more elastic and less likely to rupture
- Maintain normal blood pressure (Several studies have shown that grape seed extract supports healthy blood pressure)
- Reduce the oxidation of LDL ("bad") cholesterol - a process that leads to the development of arterial plaques
- Improve circulation by helping blood vessels dilate more easily.
Solution
- Add a high-quality grape seed extract to your daily supplement regimen
- USANA Proflavanol C100 is a powerful combination of 100 mg grape seed extract and 100 mg vitamin C that provides antioxidant support to help protect blood vessels and promote cardiovascular health.
Pro tip: Grape seed extract improves oxygen delivery to working muscles, making it a popular supplement among endurance athletes and those who train at high altitudes.
Habit #4: Don't Take Calcium Without Vitamin K2
Without enough vitamin K2, the calcium in your system can end up in your arteries instead of your bones.
Why You Need Vitamin K2
Vitamin K2 activates a protein called Matrix Gla Protein (MGP) in your arteries that helps prevent calcium deposits from forming on artery walls.
When you have sufficient vitamin K2, the MGP in your arteries is activated to remove calcium deposits from your arteries and move them to your bones where they belong.
Studies show that people who consumed the most vitamin K2 had:
- A 52% lower risk of arterial calcification and
- A 57% lower risk of dying from a cardiovascular disease
The Fix: If you take calcium supplements - or even if you don't - be sure to get enough vitamin K2 in your diet as well
USANA provides a standalone vitamin K2 supplement that contains 100 mcg of vitamin K2 in the form of menaquinone-7 (MK-7), which has been shown to be the most bioavailable form of vitamin K2.
Pro tip: Vitamin D3 works with vitamin K2 to activate MGP.
USANA CellSentials provides both vitamin D3 and K2, but if you are taking calcium supplements as well and/or have a family history of cardiovascular disease, you may want to consider a standalone vitamin K2 supplement.
Habit #5: Circulation Support (Go Beyond Exercise!)
Poor circulation can make you feel cold, especially in your extremities, cause muscle cramps, reduce the amount of oxygen delivered to your muscles during exercise, and even cause your heart to work harder to pump blood to your muscles and organs.
Why Circulation Support is Important to Your Heart Health
Having good circulation means that your muscles and organs are getting the oxygen they need to function normally and that your heart isn't having to work as hard to get that oxygen to them.
Good circulation also means that your body is able to effectively remove waste products like lactic acid from your muscles so that they don't cause you pain and dysfunction.
The Fix
Take a circulation support supplement that helps increase blood flow and makes blood vessels more elastic.
USANA Circulate+ is a comprehensive circulation support supplement that contains:
- Grape seed extract to help protect blood vessels
- Hawthorn berry extract to help support circulation and heart health
- Garlic bulb extract to help support blood pressure and circulation
- Vitamin C to support the production of collagen for strong, healthy blood vessels
Pro tip: If you're an endurance athlete or have a job that requires you to sit for long periods of time, you may especially benefit from circulation support to help increase blood flow to your muscles during workouts and help remove waste products after your workouts.
Habit #6: Sleep (Not Just For Beauty's Sake!)
Recent studies have shown that getting too little sleep increases your risk for cardiovascular disease, independent of other risk factors like diet and exercise.
Why Sleep Is So Important To Your Heart Health
During sleep, your body:
- Lowers your blood pressure
- Gets rid of inflammatory messengers that damage blood vessels
- Balances stress hormones like cortisol that contribute to high blood pressure and high blood sugar
- Improves heart rate variability (HRV)
The Fix
- Make sure you get 7-9 hours of good quality sleep each night
- Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including on the weekend
- Avoid screens 30-60 min before bed
- Make your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet
- Don't drink caffeine after noon
Consider taking magnesium to help you relax and sleep better (especially if you are an athlete or have a stressful job). USANA MagneCal D is a great option that supplies magnesium, calcium, and vitamin D3 to help you relax, sleep deeper, and recover better after a hard day's work.
Pro tip: If you have a heart condition or family history of heart disease, getting good quality sleep can actually help reduce your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
Did You Know?
People who consistently sleep less than 6 hours per night have a 20-30% higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
Shop Heart Health Essentials at Buy Nutritionals
Shop these heart health essentials at Buy Nutritionals:
- USANA BiOmega – 1,050 mg omega-3s (580 mg EPA + 470 mg DHA) per serving
- USANA CoQuinone 100 – 100 mg pharmaceutical-grade CoQ10 for heart muscle energy
- USANA Proflavanol C100 – 100 mg grape seed extract + 100 mg vitamin C for blood vessel health
- USANA Circulate+ – Comprehensive circulation support formula
- USANA Vitamin K2 – 100 mcg vitamin K2 as MK-7 for arterial and bone health
When you purchase from Buy Nutritionals, you receive:
- 10% Preferred Pricing on all USANA products
- Additional 10% off with Subscribe & Save (4- or 8-week delivery)
- Free 2-3 day UPS shipping on orders over $100
- Fresh products shipped directly from USANA with the latest expiration dates
- Authorized Independent USANA Distributor guarantee (Approval Number ADV-154)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can I take all of these heart health supplements together?
Heart health supplements can generally be stacked, but Co-enzyme Q10 and vitamin K2 should be taken with your biggest meal for optimal absorption. If you're on blood thinners, avoid combining omega-3, grape seed extract, and vitamin K2, or speak with your doctor about it.
2. I'm under 30. Do I need to worry about heart health?
You should think about your heart health and start putting these habits into place now. It takes 40-50 years for arterial plaque to develop, and you want that process to start as far into the future as possible.
3. I'm an endurance athlete. Are there any heart health concerns I should be aware of?
Endurance athletes have more Coronary Artery Plaque (especially non-calcified plaque) than sedentary peers, so you should pay especially close attention to your Omega-3, Coenzyme Q10, and vitamin K2 levels. Get a cardiac CT scan if you're over age 40.
4. I'm on statin drugs. Should I take Coenzyme Q10?
Yes! Statin drugs deplete Coenzyme Q10, which causes muscle aches and fatigue in many patients. Studies have shown that 100- 200 mg of Coenzyme Q10 can be effective at reducing statin side effects.
5. What's the difference between vitamin K1 and K2?
Vitamin K1 comes from leafy green vegetables and is used for normal blood clotting. Vitamin K2 comes from fermented foods and tells your body where to put calcium deposits. For heart health, you want to take vitamin K2 in the form of MK-7.
6. Does fish oil thin the blood?
At normal doses (1,000- 2,000 mg per day), the risk of bleeding is minimal, but if you're on blood thinners or have a bleeding disorder, speak with your doctor before taking omega-3 fatty acids.
7. How long does it take for these heart health supplements to work?
It takes 4-12 weeks for omega-3 fatty acids to have a noticeable impact on cardiovascular health. You may notice a boost in energy from Coenzyme Q10 in 2-4 weeks, and see improvements in circulation after 4-8 weeks of grape seed extract. The benefits of vitamin K2 to your arteries will appear gradually over several months.
8. Can't I get these nutrients from food?
Technically, yes. But you would need to eat fatty fish 3-4x per week, organ meats regularly, eat fermented foods with every meal, and eat lots of grapes and berries to get therapeutic levels of these nutrients. In short: supplements make it much easier to thrive, rather than just survive.
9. Are these heart health supplements safe to take during pregnancy?
Omega-3 fatty acids are actually encouraged during pregnancy to help with fetal brain development, but grape seed extract, Circulate+, and high doses of CCoenzymeQ10 have not been thoroughly studied. Speak with your OB/GYN before taking any of these heart health supplements while pregnant.
10. I have a family history of heart disease. What else can I do?
Talk to your doctor about getting a comprehensive cardiac work-up (including a coronary calcium scan, ApoB testing, Lipoprotein(a), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein) and working on a personalized supplement and diet plan.
