modern wellness · Functional Action

Cardiovascular Support

Nutrients connected to Cardiovascular Support

A link means the body needs the nutrient for this, or that low intake is linked to it. It does not mean extra supplements help if your intake is already adequate; each link shows how strong the evidence is.

PotassiumEstablished role
Potassium helps the heart muscle work properly. Diet-based intake is the supported route; supplement pills for heart health are not shown to help healthy people.
TaurinePreliminary or mixed
Pooled trials report small average drops in blood pressure and cholesterol with taurine supplements. Meta-analyses of mostly short trials, many in people with existing liver or metabolic problems, report small average changes in lab or clinic measures; they do not show fewer heart attacks or strokes.
Fish oilPreliminary or mixed
Large reviews of fish oil supplements in adults mostly found little or no effect on death or overall heart events, with a possible small effect on coronary events. Results are mixed.
Krill oilPreliminary or mixed
Lipid changes in pooled trials; no heart outcome shown.
Omega-3 fatty acids (ALA, EPA and DHA)Preliminary or mixed
Lowers triglycerides; effect on heart events from supplements is mixed.
Flaxseed oil and plant omega-3 (ALA)Preliminary or mixed
Eating more ALA may slightly lower heart and blood vessel events, but the Cochrane review rated the certainty as low and found little or no effect on deaths.
HibiscusPreliminary or mixed
Reviews of trials report lower blood pressure than placebo, but results vary widely and a strict Cochrane review judged the evidence insufficient.
GarlicPreliminary or mixed
Small possible effects on cholesterol and blood pressure per NCCIH; no proof of fewer heart events.
HawthornClinically supported
Hawthorn leaf-and-flower extract has been studied as an add-on to usual care in chronic heart failure, with a Cochrane review reporting better exercise tolerance and symptoms; NCCIH calls the overall evidence conflicting, and there is no data on deaths. For other heart uses (angina, rhythm, plaque) NCCIH says there is not enough evidence.
Olive leafPreliminary or mixed
Some trials of olive leaf extract found lower blood pressure, but pooled reviews call the evidence limited. It does not replace prescribed medicine.
ArjunaPreliminary or mixed
Used for heart conditions, with mixed small-trial results: no change in heart pumping strength in heart failure, some angina and blood-pressure benefits in small trials, and a risk of interacting with heart medicines.
Danshen (red sage root)Preliminary or mixed
Danshen is widely used in China for heart and blood vessel conditions. Trials of danshen dripping pills for angina were mostly low quality and tested multi-herb pills, so evidence is limited.
BergamotPreliminary or mixed
Used as an extract for blood fats; trial results are promising but limited and highly variable.
Uncaria (gou teng)Preliminary or mixed
Small, low-quality trials of multi-herb Tianma Gouteng formulas, usually added to blood pressure drugs, report larger blood pressure falls than the drug alone; a Cochrane review found no eligible trial of the formula by itself. The effect of gou teng alone is not known.
Sarpagandha (Indian snakeroot)Clinically supported
Reserpine lowered systolic blood pressure in a Cochrane review; not shown for the whole root.
Grape seed extractPreliminary or mixed
Studied for blood pressure and cholesterol with small, mixed effects.
SpirulinaPreliminary or mixed
Pooled trials report small improvements in blood pressure and blood fats; trial quality and results vary.
PomegranatePreliminary or mixed
Meta-analyses of trials, mostly of juice, report lower systolic blood pressure, but results varied widely and the evidence is limited.
BeetsPreliminary or mixed
Small, low-certainty blood pressure lowering with beet juice in trials; results are mixed in people with hypertension.
TomatoesPreliminary or mixed
Pooled trials found lower LDL and better vessel function; other outcomes did not change.
Hazelnuts (Filberts)Preliminary or mixed
Lower LDL in pooled trials; clinical event data are not hazelnut-specific.
Macadamia NutsPreliminary or mixed
Tree nut LDL reduction; macadamia-only evidence small.
Green TeaPreliminary or mixed
Small improvements in cholesterol and blood pressure in pooled trials.
Black TeaPreliminary or mixed
Small changes in LDL and blood pressure in some trials; observational links with lower heart-disease death.
Hibiscus TeaPreliminary or mixed
Blood pressure lowering in tea and pooled trials.
OatsClinically supported
LDL cholesterol falls with oat beta-glucan in pooled randomized trials.
Oat BranClinically supported
Pooled trials show oat beta-glucan lowers LDL cholesterol.
Soy Foods (Soybeans)Clinically supported
Soy protein lowers LDL cholesterol slightly in pooled trials when it replaces other protein.
Edamame (Green Soybeans)Clinically supported
Soy protein lowers LDL cholesterol slightly in pooled trials when it replaces other protein.
TofuClinically supported
Soy protein lowers LDL cholesterol slightly in pooled trials when it replaces other protein.
Canned Beans (Drained, Rinsed)Clinically supported
Diets with pulses lowered LDL cholesterol slightly in pooled trials.
Sunflower OilPreliminary or mixed
LDL lowering when replacing saturated fat; heart-event benefit is not shown for sunflower oil alone.
Safflower OilPreliminary or mixed
LDL lowering when it replaces saturated fat; heart events not tested for safflower oil alone.
Soybean & Vegetable OilPreliminary or mixed
LDL lowering when it replaces saturated fat.
Corn OilPreliminary or mixed
LDL lowering when it replaces saturated fat; deaths were not lowered in the Minnesota trial.
Rice Bran OilClinically supported
Lowers LDL and total cholesterol in pooled randomized trials.
Beet JuicePreliminary or mixed
Systolic blood pressure fell about 4 to 5 mmHg in pooled trials of beet juice.
Pomegranate JuicePreliminary or mixed
Systolic pressure fell about 5 mmHg in pooled trials of juice.
Salt Substitutes (Potassium Chloride)Clinically supported
Replacing some sodium with potassium lowers blood pressure in trials.
Arginine and citrullinePreliminary or mixed
Blood pressure fell slightly on average in trials, but this is a blood pressure marker, not fewer heart attacks, and arginine is not advised after a heart attack.
Cod liver oilPreliminary or mixed
Marine omega-3s are researched for heart and triglyceride effects. Results are mixed and not specific to cod liver oil.
Omega-9 fatty acids (oleic acid)Preliminary or mixed
Monounsaturated fats in food are described by the NHS as heart-protective; swapping them for saturated fat is the usual advice. Not shown for omega-9 supplements.
Polyphenols: quercetin and resveratrolPreliminary or mixed
Small marker changes only; resveratrol meta-analysis found no cardiovascular risk factor benefit.
Grape seed extract and pine bark extract (oligomeric proanthocyanidins, OPC)Preliminary or mixed
Grape seed trials show small, inconsistent changes in blood pressure and heart rate; pine bark reviews found no blood pressure benefit.
Black seedPreliminary or mixed
Pooled trials found average blood pressure falls of about 3 mmHg (systolic) and 3 mmHg (diastolic), but results varied a lot between trials and one database calls the evidence conflicting. Not a replacement for blood pressure treatment.
SchisandraLab or animal research only
Lab and animal studies suggest heart-protective effects; no human proof.
Lemon verbenaPreliminary or mixed
Pooled small trials found lower average blood pressure and total cholesterol.
Panax notoginsengPreliminary or mixed
Meta-analysis of injection trials after heart attack was favourable but limited. These findings are for a hospital injection used with standard care, not supplements.
ChiaPreliminary or mixed
Meta-analyses of small trials found modest drops in blood pressure with chia seed or flour; trials are small and differ in design, so this is not proof.
FlaxseedPreliminary or mixed
A meta-analysis of 62 trials found small average drops in total and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, with no change in HDL. These are blood markers, not heart attack trials. Blood pressure changes are also small.
Eucommia (du zhong)Preliminary or mixed
Small trials of bark and leaf extracts gave mixed results on blood pressure: some fall in office readings but no difference on 24-hour monitoring in one placebo-controlled trial. It is not shown to replace prescribed treatment.
Ophiopogon (mai dong)Preliminary or mixed
Trials of Shenmai injection (ginseng plus ophiopogon) added to standard care report better heart-function measures, but certainty is low and it is an injection, not the dried root.
Black seed (nigella)Preliminary or mixed
Pooled supplement trials found small average falls in blood pressure (about 3 mmHg) with large differences between trials; not studied at spice amounts.
King tuber mushroomLab or animal research only
Cholesterol findings in mice and fish.
ApplesPreliminary or mixed
Observational link and small trial cholesterol changes.
WatermelonPreliminary or mixed
Small average blood pressure falls were seen in trials of citrulline or watermelon products in middle-aged and older adults; most evidence is for supplements, not fresh fruit.
Ancho chilePreliminary or mixed
Observational link between spicy food and lower heart death risk; not shown to be caused by chili.
Mycoprotein (Quorn)Preliminary or mixed
Cholesterol lowering when it replaces meat.
AlmondsPreliminary or mixed
Small cholesterol-marker changes in pooled trials.
WalnutsPreliminary or mixed
Blood-fat changes in pooled trials.
PistachiosPreliminary or mixed
Small improvements in blood pressure and cholesterol ratios; not proof of fewer heart events.
PeanutsPreliminary or mixed
Large observational studies link nut intake (peanuts included) to lower heart disease; observational, so not proof.
Chia SeedsPreliminary or mixed
Blood pressure findings only; certainty low to moderate.
FlaxseedPreliminary or mixed
Blood fat and blood pressure markers.
Lotus SeedsLab or animal research only
Antihypertensive effect of the extract in rats only.
Mixed Nuts & Trail MixPreliminary or mixed
Observational link between nut eating and lower heart disease; not proof.
PlumsPreliminary or mixed
A 2024 meta-analysis found lower LDL with plum products; certainty low to moderate.
Kuding Tea (Bitter Tea)Preliminary or mixed
Blood fat markers improved in small trials of kuding.
BarleyPreliminary or mixed
Cholesterol marker improves in small older trials.
Whole Wheat & Wheat BerriesPreliminary or mixed
Cohort evidence for whole grains and heart disease plus a small LDL effect in pooled trials; not specific to this grain.
SpeltPreliminary or mixed
Cohort evidence for whole grains and heart disease plus a small LDL effect in pooled trials; not specific to this grain.
Farro (Emmer)Preliminary or mixed
Cohort evidence for whole grains and heart disease plus a small LDL effect in pooled trials; not specific to this grain. Not farro-specific.
Khorasan Wheat (Kamut)Preliminary or mixed
Cohort evidence for whole grains and heart disease plus a small LDL effect in pooled trials; not specific to this grain.
BulgurPreliminary or mixed
Cohort evidence for whole grains and heart disease plus a small LDL effect in pooled trials; not specific to this grain.
FreekehPreliminary or mixed
Cohort evidence for whole grains and heart disease plus a small LDL effect in pooled trials; not specific to this grain. Not freekeh-specific.
LentilsPreliminary or mixed
Pooled randomized trials of pulses as a group found a small drop in LDL cholesterol (about 0.16 to 0.17 mmol/L). One small 12-week trial of cooked green lentils saw LDL stay lower than a meat-based control.
Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)Preliminary or mixed
Pooled randomized trials of pulses as a group found a small drop in LDL cholesterol (about 0.16 to 0.17 mmol/L). One 5-week crossover trial of 27 adults saw LDL 0.20 mmol/L lower on a chickpea diet than a wheat diet; the authors say part may be from more polyunsaturated fat.
Split PeasPreliminary or mixed
Pooled randomized trials of pulses as a group found a small drop in LDL cholesterol (about 0.16 to 0.17 mmol/L). In a 6-week trial a mix of yellow and green peas lowered LDL by 0.11 (units not stated in the record we read) versus rice, which was not statistically significant.
Navy BeansPreliminary or mixed
Small LDL lowering in pooled pulse trials.
White Beans (Cannellini & Great Northern)Preliminary or mixed
Small LDL lowering in pooled pulse trials.
Lima BeansPreliminary or mixed
Small LDL lowering in pooled pulse trials.
Mung BeansPreliminary or mixed
Small LDL lowering in pooled pulse trials.
Adzuki BeansPreliminary or mixed
Small LDL lowering in pooled pulse trials.
HummusPreliminary or mixed
Whole pulses lowered LDL slightly in trials; hummus not tested.
Extra Virgin Olive OilPreliminary or mixed
FDA qualified claim is limited and not conclusive.
Canola OilPreliminary or mixed
LDL lowering in pooled trials; FDA wording is cautious.
Flaxseed OilPreliminary or mixed
Cochrane: ALA may slightly lower cardiovascular events and probably arrhythmia.
Walnut & Other Nut OilsPreliminary or mixed
Lipid changes in small trials only.
Cod Liver Oil & Fish Oil (Food View)Preliminary or mixed
Lowers triglycerides in trials; evidence for heart events is limited.
Margarine & Plant-Oil SpreadsPreliminary or mixed
Sterol spreads and the unsaturated fat swap lower LDL.
Cocoa & Hot ChocolatePreliminary or mixed
Blood pressure and vascular function results.
Soy MilkClinically supported
Small LDL lowering seen in pooled soy protein trials.
Tomato JuicePreliminary or mixed
Pooled trials of tomato products improved LDL and flow-mediated dilation; effects were small.
Japanese GinsengLab or animal research only
Shown only in cells or animals; no human trial found. Findings in cells and animals often do not carry over to people.
Goji BerryPreliminary or mixed
Small lipid-marker changes in pooled trials; no blood-pressure change.

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