Cardio Assurance

According to the most recent report from the National Center for Health Statistics, the leading cause of death in the U.S. is heart disease. It is estimated that 71 million American adults suffer from heart disease, stroke and other forms of cardiovascular disease, with deaths from heart disease alone projected to increase 130% by 2050.1,2

Cardio Assurance offers a powerful blend of ingredients that have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and help prevent circulatory disorders. The herbs and essential nutrients in Cardio Assurance help protect the heart and blood vessels from damage, strengthen cardiovascular function, reduce blood pressure and serum cholesterol, and lower homocysteine levels. Each capsule of Cardio Assurance contains:

Vitamin B6 helps metabolize homocysteine into the harmless amino acid cysteine, which is excreted in the urine. A study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that dietary or supplemental intake of 3mg per day of vitamin B6, combined with 400mcg per day of folic acid, may be as important in the prevention of coronary heart disease in women as is quitting smoking, reducing blood pressure, and lowering blood cholesterol. Other research indicates that supplementing with all 3 B-vitamins (folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12) has been shown to lower homocysteine levels, thereby decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Vitamin B6 has also been shown to significantly reduce both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in patients with hypertension.3-7

Vitamin B12 facilitates the recycling of homocysteine back into its metabolic precursor methionine, an essential amino acid. Together with vitamin B6 and folic acid, vitamin B12 lowers blood levels of homocysteine. For example, a 4-year study found that diets reflecting a higher intake of folic acid and vitamin B12 were associated with a lower number of deaths from coronary disease. In addition, research shows that vitamin B12 deficiency is associated with significantly lower left ventricular ejection fractions (a sign of diminished pumping ability of the left lower chamber of the heart, which can lead to the development of congestive heart failure).3,5,8,9

Folic acid (a B-vitamin) has been shown to provide cardioprotective effects. Most importantly, folic acid decreases blood levels of the amino acid homocysteine (which can damage the lining of the arteries and contributes to blood clotting). Studies have consistently revealed a correlation between homocysteine levels and the risk of coronary artery disease and heart attack. In fact, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that heart attack risks were more than 3 times higher for men with elevated homocysteine levels (12% above average). Fortunately, it appears that high homocysteine levels can be reduced with supplemental folic acid (along with vitamins B6 and B12), which in turn helps prevent, slow and even stop the progression of many cardiovascular disease conditions. In fact, research suggests that folic acid may be the most important single nutrient in providing protection against homocysteine—researchers estimate that a minimum of 13,500 deaths from cardiovascular disease could be prevented each year by increasing folic acid intake. It is important to note that B-vitamin deficiencies are a common consequence of the conventional treatments for congestive heart failure (i.e. high-dose diuretic therapy, etc.).3,4,6,10-16

Vitamin K2 (MK-7) – Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin produced in the human gastrointestinal tract by gram-negative bacteria. Vitamin K also occurs naturally in both plants (as phylloquinone or vitamin K1) and fermented foods (as menaquinone-7 or vitamin K2). Natto, a Japanese fermented-soy food is the richest dietary source of vitamin K currently known. Vitamin K is essential for the formation of prothrombin, a chemical required for blood clotting and the normal functioning of hemostasis—the stoppage of bleeding or hemorrhage. Thus, vitamin K deficiency can lead to abnormal blood clotting and a generalized bleeding tendency. The importance of vitamin K is especially noteworthy for individuals taking the anticoagulant drug warfarin (brand name Coumadin), a vitamin K antagonist which, when overprescribed, can cause significant risk for major bleeding. Furthermore, vitamin K is an important co-factor in the production of proteins that inhibit vascular calcifications—a process where calcium is deposited into the vein walls, which can lead to atherosclerosis. Thus, evidence indicates that low dietary vitamin K intake is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death. Vitamin K deficiency is common in individuals with celiac disease, sprue and colitis, which all result in the intestinal malabsorption of nutrients. Vitamin K deficiency can also be caused by inadequate absorption due to a deficiency of bile—the enzyme necessary for the absorption of all fat-soluble vitamins. Aspirin-use, radiation, x-rays, industrial pollution and rancid fats destroy vitamin K, while excessive use of antibiotics can destroy the intestinal flora that produces vitamin K. A recent study comparing the absorption and efficacy of synthetic vitamin K1 and menaquinone-7 (MK-7) in healthy volunteers found that MK-7 supplementation resulted in much more stable blood levels and the accumulation of higher levels of MK-7 (seven to eight times greater) in the blood during prolonged intake.17-26

Hawthorn berries (Crataegus laevigata) is regarded as one of the most significant herbs for heart disease in Western herbal medicine and is widely used in Europe due to its antihypertensive and cardiotonic effects. Hawthorn helps reduce blood pressure and serum cholesterol levels, improves blood flow and oxygen supply to the heart, enhances heart muscle contractions to improve cardiac efficiency, and offers significant protection against the development of atherosclerosis. Hawthorn may also provide a cardioprotective (heart-protecting) effect through its apparent ability to decrease the oxygen demands of heart tissue. In some instances, hawthorn can be used to complement drug therapy to improve the quality of life in individuals with stable angina and to slow the progression of early-stage congestive heart failure. In fact, the German Commission E has approved the use of hawthorn extracts in patients with stage 2 heart failure (as graded according to the New York Heart Association). The effectiveness of hawthorn for chronic heart failure has also been documented in numerous clinical trials, reviews and meta-analyses. A recent review of 10 double-blind, randomized clinical trials of patients with chronic heart failure found that maximal workload, exercise tolerance, cardiac oxygen consumption and symptoms such as fatigue and shortness of breath all improved significantly in those receiving hawthorn as compared to those taking a placebo. Adverse effects of hawthorn treatment were reported as infrequent, mild and transient such as dizziness, nausea, gastrointestinal complaints and palpitation. Furthermore, a recent review of safety data from 24 human clinical studies using hawthorn found that the treatment was well-tolerated, with no reports of drug interactions.10,27-36

Resveratrol (Polygonum cuspidatum) is classified as a polyphenol phytoalexin. Phytoalexins are compounds synthesized by plants as a defensive response to attack, injury or infection. The richest source of resveratrol is found, not in grapes or wine, but in the dried roots of Polygonum cuspidatum, a traditional Chinese medicine cultivated primarily in China and Japan. Research has confirmed the cardioprotective abilities of resveratrol, including its role as a potent antioxidant and anti-platelet and anti-inflammatory agent. Studies have found that resveratrol inhibits the formation of blood clots, which can lead to heart attack and stroke, and also participates in cholesterol metabolism, which may help prevent the formation and build-up of plaque deposits in the arteries. In addition, resveratrol has been shown to protect against LDL oxidation in vitro.10,37-46