Amino acids, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin C are among the many antioxidants included in healthy diets; however, it is debatable to what extent these micronutrients are good for cardiovascular health. Now, some clarification is offered by a recent meta-analysis that was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
884 studies on micronutrients taken as dietary supplements have been thoroughly evaluated, and their data have been assessed by researchers. They discovered a number of micronutrients that actually lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as others that are ineffective or even harmful. The combined trials involved more than 883,000 patients.
Simin Liu, MD, MS, MPH, ScD, professor of epidemiology and medicine at Brown University and the study’s principal investigator, said that “for the first time, we developed a comprehensive, evidence-based integrative map to characterize and quantify micronutrient supplements’ potential effects on cardiometabolic outcomes.” Our research emphasizes the significance of a variety of micronutrients and the harmony between health benefits and dangers.
According to him, the results could serve as the foundation for future clinical trials that examine certain micronutrient combinations and their effects on cardiovascular health.
Supplementing with antioxidants has long been recognized to benefit heart health. This is so because these nutrients minimize oxidative stress, which is known to play a role in a number of cardiovascular disorders. Foods that are naturally high in antioxidants are a part of heart-healthy diets like the Mediterranean diet and the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH). However, studies on antioxidant supplements have produced mixed outcomes, which is one of the reasons why this strategy hasn’t yet been widely used in preventative cardiology.
The health consequences of a single or a small number of vitamins and minerals have been the main focus of research on micronutrient supplementation, according to Liu. “We chose to adopt a thorough and methodical strategy to review all the publicly available and accessible research reporting all micronutrients, including phytochemicals and antioxidant supplements, and their impact on cardiovascular risk factors as well as numerous cardiovascular illnesses.”
The researchers examined 27 different kinds of antioxidant supplements in randomized, controlled intervention trials. They discovered substantial proof that several promoted cardiovascular health. These included coenzyme Q10, an antioxidant frequently branded as CoQ10, which decreased all-cause mortality; folic acid, which cut stroke risk; and omega-3 fatty acids, which decreased mortality from cardiovascular disease. Alpha-lipoic acid, melatonin, catechin, curcumin, flavanol, genistein, and quercetin also demonstrated evidence of lowering cardiovascular risk. Omega-6 fatty acids, L-arginine, L-citrulline, vitamin D, magnesium, and zinc also demonstrated evidence of this.
Not all supplements had positive effects. Vitamins C, D, E, and selenium had no impact on the long-term outcomes of cardiovascular disease or the risk of type 2 diabetes. Additionally, beta-carotene supplementation raised mortality from all causes.
The researchers claim that the results highlight the need for more individualized, precision-based dietary therapies that incorporate certain combinations of advantageous supplements. To learn more about the long-term effects of particular micronutrients on health, further research is required, including significant, high-quality interventional trials.
Finding the ideal balance of micronutrients is crucial because not all of them are advantageous, and some may even have negative consequences, according to Liu.
