holistichearthealth

3 Nutrients Your Heart Will L🩷VE!

You’ve heard about fiber and omega-3s, but what about these hidden gems for your heart?


🩷 Vitamin K2

Vitamin K2 acts like a traffic controller for calcium. It helps direct calcium to where it belongs—your bones—reducing the risk of arterial calcification.. Food sources: Fermented foods (especially natto), hard cheeses, and egg yolks.


🩷 Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

Your heart works 24/7, and CoQ10 is essential for keeping it energized. It powers your heart cells and protects them from oxidative damage. It’s especially important for anyone taking statins, as these medications can lower CoQ10 levels. Food sources: Fatty fish and organ meats.


🩷 Magnesium

Known as “the great relaxer,” magnesium supports heart health by relaxing blood vessels and maintaining healthy blood pressure. Food sources: Leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and dark chocolate.


While you can get these nutrients from food, supplements can sometimes fill in the gaps. But supplements aren’t one-size-fits-all—they can interact with medications or other nutrients. That’s why working with a qualified practitioner is so important.


Curious about working with us to optimize your nutrition and supplements?


We look at your unique health history, risk factors, and lab results to create a supplement protocol tailored just for you.


Visit our website to schedule your initial visit with Dr. Cantrell! Let's get started!


#elementsnatmed #hearthealth #heartfactsforwomen #cardiachealth #heartmonth #colga #naturalmedicine

❤️ Heart Facts for Women ❤️

February is HEART health month!


Did you know that heart health research has only recently started focusing on the unique differences between men and women?


Let’s break this down:


❤️ Heart disease is the #1 killer of women worldwide.

Yes, the leading cause of death—even in high-income countries like the US. This statistic spans race and ethnicity, which means it’s something we all need to pay attention to.


❤️ Menopause dramatically impacts heart risk.

Estrogen naturally protects the heart. That’s why, if two women are the same age, the postmenopausal woman’s risk of a cardiovascular event is double that of the premenopausal woman. And those hot flashes and night sweats? They’ve been specifically linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure.


❤️ Women have other unique heart health risk factors.

Conditions like gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, PCOS, and endometriosis can increase heart disease risks. These are challenges male bodies never deal with.


❤️ Heart symptoms are often misdiagnosed in women.

Studies show women with heart disease symptoms are twice as likely as men to be told that it’s just ‘stress’ or ‘anxiety.’


❤️ Heart attacks present differently in women.

Sure, chest pain is common, but women often experience less obvious symptoms like pain in the neck, jaw, throat, arm, or back—plus dizziness, nausea, heartburn, or sheer exhaustion.


Save this post! Knowing these facts could literally save a life.


Drop a ❤️ in the comments if you learned something in this post—or send it to a friend to spread the word.

[New Study] Couples & Blood Pressure

New research shows blood pressure in couples is often similar 😮

Most of us would think that blood pressure is an individual thing, but this was a fascinating study that showed it could be linked to your partner!

The study (published in the Journal of the American Heart Association) looked at blood pressure data from thousands of couples in the US, England, China, and India.

Overall, they found that if your partner has high blood pressure, you are more likely to have it too.

For example, wives whose husbands had high blood pressure were 9% more likely to also have high blood pressure in the US & England, 19% in India, and 26% in China.

The study didn’t look at WHY, but maybe it’s worth committing to some heart-healthy activities with your partner ❤️

Reference

Varghese JS, Lu P, Choi D, et al. Spousal Concordance of Hypertension Among Middle-Aged and Older Heterosexual Couples Around the World: Evidence From Studies of Aging in the United States, England, China, and India. J Am Heart Assoc. 2023;12(24):e030765. [link]