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‘Natural’ Supplements for a Healthy Heart
By Steve Ryan, PhD, Last updated: December 15, 2018
Vitamins and supplements may improve overall heart health and thereby help A-Fib, but they aren’t generally considered “A-Fib specific” like some medications.
Besides monitoring your mineral levels of Magnesium, Calcium and Potassium, you may also want to promote a healthy heart with “natural” supplements. These are recommended supplements for heart rhythm problems and to promote a healthy heart:1,2 To make buying easier, see our Wish List at Amazon.com: For A-Fib Patients: 7 Supplements for a Healthy Heart
• Taurine
• Coenzyme Q10
• L-Carnitine
• Omega-3 Fish Oils
• Ribose (D-Ribose)
• Hawthorne Berry
• BCAA+G
Because the above supplements occur naturally, they cannot be patented by drug companies and are not pharmaceuticals. Natural remedies are often not submitted to rigorous double-blind studies with large populations such as the FDA requires for medications. That doesn’t mean these remedies aren’t effective for A-Fib, but only that the level of proof of their effectiveness is different. Medications, in general, work by blocking or interfering with a natural process, while supplements work by modulating or supporting natural processes.
Caution: Consult with your doctor before adding any supplements to your treatment plan. They may interfere or interact with your prescription medications. Also: Beware of doctors who reject all supplements. Natural supplements normally do not interfere with most medicines.
Taurine
Taurine along with magnesium and potassium have been described as “the essential trio” for treating nutritional deficiencies relating to A-Fib.3 Taurine is a sulfur-containing amino acid and is the most important and abundant amino acid in the heart. It regulates membrane excitability, scavenges free radicals, protects potassium levels inside the heart, and dampens activity in the sympathetic nervous system.4 Taurine regulates cellular calcium, improves heart muscle contraction, and also prevents the heart from becoming overly irritable, which can lead to heart rhythm problems.5
Caution: Food additives such as monosodium glutamate (MSG) and the artificial sweetener aspartame lower the body’s concentration of taurine.6
Suggested products: Now Foods Taurine 1000Mg, 100-Capsules Source Naturals Taurine 1000mg, 240 Capsules
Dosage: Daily: 3,000 mg in divided doses with meals.
(One study by G. Eby recommends 10 to 20 grams of taurine/day combined with 4-6 grams of L-argenine to stop A-Fib. But this is a relatively heavy dosage requiring 10-20 1000 mg pills/day.7,8 [I think the dosages G. Eby recommends may be too much and have heard that such a high level of Taurine can cause palpitations and high blood pressure. But I haven’t run across any studies that document this.]
Coenzyme Q-10 is a naturally occurring enzyme, part of the quinone chemical group, that is found in every cell in the body. It plays a key role in producing energy in the mitochondria. CoQ10’s ability to energize the heart is perhaps its chief attribute. 95% of the body’s energy is generated by CoQ10, which generates energy in the form of ATP.9 CoQ10 improves heart functions and heart rhythm problems.10 The CoQ10 should have “Ubiquinol” on the label rather than “ubiquinone” which your body has to first convert to ubiquinol to get the benefits. Caution: Be advised that taking statin drugs reduces CoQ10 levels. A CoQ10 deficiency is associated with illness and death in animals.12
Dr. Sinatra calls Coenzyme Q10 “the spark of life.” In heart cells CoQ10 provides the spark that initiates the energy process.11 It prolongs the action potential and helps maintain sinus rhythm. It’s also a powerful antioxidant.
Gel tabs are better absorbed than powdered tablets.
Suggested products: Jarrow Formulas Ubiquinol QH-Absorb, High Absorption/Enhanced Stability, 100 mg, 120 Softgels; Source Naturals Ubiquinol CoQH 100mg, 90 Softgels;
Dosage: 100-300 mg daily in divided doses with meals.13
L-Carnitine is a vitamin-like nutrient. It’s a derivative of the amino acid lysine which helps to turn fat into energy. It is considered by some to be the single most important nutrient in cardiac health. It reduces the incidence of cardiac arrhythmias and premature ventricular contractions (PVCs).14,15 Dr. Sinatra says Coenzyme Q10 and Carnitine work together, and calls them the “twin pillars of heart health.”16 While CoQ10 ignites the spark that generates ATP, L-Carnitine is the energy shuttle that transports long-chain fatty acids to the heart cells (mitochondria) where they are burned as fuel.
A newer form “propionyl-L-carnitine (PLC)” targets heart tissue specifically.17
Suggested products: Swanson Glycine Propionyl-L-Carnitine Hcl Gplc 840 mg 60 Caps; Vitacost GPLC Glycine Propionyl L-Carnitine HCl-GlycoCarn 1000 mg PLC per serving – 60 Capsules
Dosage: Daily: 750-2000 mg of L-Carnitine Fumerate (250 to 500 mg three to four times a day).
Omega-3 Fish Oils
Fish Oil/Essential Fatty Acids (EPA and DHA are essential nutrients obtained primarily from eating fish or from supplements.) DHA plays a crucial role in brain function, as well as in normal growth and development. Essential fatty acids like EPA and DHA are considered by some to be natural defibrillators, lessening the incidence of cardiac arrhythmias and A-Fib.18 DHA in particular helps stabilize the heart’s electrical activity, reducing risk of fatal arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.
(In one experiment, Harvard researchers added different toxins to heart cell cultures that caused them to beat erratically. However, when they added omega-3 fatty acids at the same time, arrhythmias were prevented.)”19
Try to find a Fish Oil that includes the supplement Gamma E (d-Alpha Tocopherol) to prevent oxidation of the oil once it reaches the tissue.20 Note: Some prefer Krill oil to fish oil as it’s exacted from organisms living in pristine deep-water seas.
Recommended products: Source Naturals Omega EPA Fish Oil, 1000mg, 100 Softgels; MegaRed Extra Strength Omega 3 Krill Oil 500mg Supplement, 60 Count
Dosage: Daily: 2,000-8,000 mg in liquid or tablets, in divided doses21
Ribose (D-Ribose)
Ribose (D-Ribose) is a five-carbon sugar that is a regulator in the production of ATP. It’s a carbohydrate that is the backbone of genetic materials, and it’s needed in the production of many metabolic compounds. “The heart’s ability to maintain energy is limited by one thing—the availability of ribose.”
Ribose increases tolerance to cardiac stress, improves exercise tolerance and physical function, provides cardiac energy needed to maintain normal heart function, increases cardiac efficiency, lowers stress during exercise, and maintains healthy energy levels in heart and muscle.22,23 When first starting Ribose, start with small doses at first, then increase gradually.
Suggested products: Now Foods D-Ribose Powder, 8-Ounce, Doctor’s Best Best D-Ribose Featuring Bioenergy Ribose, 250-Gram.
Dosage: Daily: 7-10 grams of Ribose powder. Take in divided doses with meals or just before and after exercise.
Hawthorne Berry
Hawthorne Berry Extract is made from the tiny red berries of the Hawthorne Shrub, and has been used in traditional medicine since ancient times. It reduces tachycardias and palpitations and prevents premature ventricular contractions (PVCs). Hawthorne Berry can energize the heart without prompting arrhythmias. It has a normalizing effect upon the heartbeat.24
Recommended products: Now Foods Hawthorn Extractract 300mg, Veg-capsules, 90-Count, Nature’s Way Hawthorn Berries , 510 mg., 180 Veg-capsules
Dosage: 4,500 mg daily in divided doses (three 510 mg capsules three times a day).
BCAA+G
Another possible natural remedy for A-Fib is Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) coupled with L-Glutamine. These amino acids (BCAA) are critical to the repair and maintenance of strong muscles. All of your muscles, including your heart, could suffer because of BCAA deficiencies. and your heart is only a muscle after all.25 BCAAs can be obtained only from external food sources. Maintaining proper BCAA levels is critical to heart muscle function.26
Recommended products: MRM BCAA+G, Lemonade, 35.2-Ounce (1000g) Plastic Jar, BodyTech BCAA and Glutamine (13.8 Oz Powder).
Dosage: Two teaspoons of BCAA+G powder in the morning and evening.
Dr. Frank Shallenberger in Real Cures newsletter (now editor of Second Opinion) recommends the following protocol for all patients with A-Fib: 1. Vitamin C 1,000 mg 3 times/day For more information about supplements for Lone A-Fib, you may also want to visit the website “Dr Lam and Body. Mind. Nutrition” and read the article, “The Best of Western and Eastern Medicine, The LAF Protocol: 11 Strategies to Prevent/Treat Lone Atrial Fibrillation”. Back to top If you find any errors on this page, email us. Y Last updated: Saturday, December 15, 2018 For the newly diagnosed, I highly recommend these items to deal with this beast called ‘Atrial Fibrillation’.
Additional Reading
2. CoQ10 300 mg/day
3. L-carnitine 3,000 mg/day
4. Magnesium Glycinate 800 mg/day
5. D-ribose 3,000-6,000 mg/day27
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