By David Blyweiss, M.D.

Here’s a nice little nugget of truth—you are only as healthy as your arteries. Your arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood away from the heart to other parts of the body. When these arteries become damaged—a condition called atherosclerosis—this blood flow can be impeded or even completely blocked, so it’s essential to keep your arteries in good shape.

Conventional medicine has always thought of the arteries as stiff pipes that gradually become clogged with excess cholesterol. The solution? Reduce how much fat and cholesterol you eat to lower the amount of total cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in the blood. The problem is, conventional medicine is wrong.

Emerging science clearly suggests that atherosclerosis is actually a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the way arteries function. Instead of viewing the arteries as pipes through which blood flows, we now understand that arteries are muscular organs that change and adapt to their environment. These flexible tubes contract and expand in response to multiple factors, helping to raise and lower blood pressure and distribute blood throughout the body. Atherosclerosis narrows and stiffens the arteries and ruptured plaques can block blood vessels, causing a heart attack or stroke.

While we are still uncovering the exact mechanisms that link low-level inflammation to atherosclerosis, a new study in Nutrition and Metabolism reports that supplementing with four common antioxidants improves arterial elasticity and HDL (good) cholesterol levels. It also appears to reduce hemoglobin A1C (glycated hemoglobin, or HbA1C, a marker of prolonged elevated blood glucose) in both men and women at risk of cardiovascular disease.

During the study, researchers at Israel’s Wolfson Medical Center enrolled 70 patients with at least two of the following risk factors: high blood pressure, diabetes, low HDL cholesterol or cigarette smoking. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either daily supplementation with 1,000 mg. of vitamin C, 400 IU of vitamin E, 200 mcg. of selenium and 120 mg. of coenzyme Q10, or a placebo for six months. Arterial elasticity and blood levels of lipids, HbA1C and other factors were evaluated before treatment and at three and six months.

By the end of the study, those who had received the antioxidants had higher HDL levels and lower blood pressure and HbA1C levels. Those taking the placebo didn’t experience any change. Small and large arterial elasticity also significantly improved in the antioxidant group.

What’ so special about these four nutrients? Vitamin C inhibits the damage caused by oxidative stress. In cigarette smokers, daily supplementation with 500 mg. of vitamin C significantly decreased oxidative stress markers. Vitamin C’s benefits are especially profound in people who suffer from both diabetes and coronary artery disease. One study demonstrated that, in this group, vitamin C significantly improved vasodilation.

Vitamin E is often studied in conjunction with vitamin C. It has been shown to prevent the oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol, keep platelets from clumping together and inhibits the proliferation of smooth muscle cells inside the arteries.

The combination of vitamin E and C has been shown to inhibit DNA oxidation, enhance antioxidant defenses and restore healthy activity within the walls of arteries (also called the endothelium). CoQ10, which plays an essential role in cellular energy production, improves endothelial function in diabetics. Finally, selenium prevents platelets from sticking together and provides significant protection of the coronary artery endothelium against damage by oxidative stress.

Of course, these four nutrients aren’t a magic bullet against atherosclerosis. It’s also important to eat a healthy low glycemic diet and get plenty of exercise. I also suggest thwarting chronic inflammation with 3,000 to 4,000 mg. of fish oil taken daily. By adopting these simple changes, you can find that healthy arteries is more than just a pipe dream, it can be your reality.

References:

Libby P. Inflammation and Atherosclerosis. Circulation. 2002;105:1135.

Shargorodsky M. Effect of long-term treatment with antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E, coenzyme Q10 and selenium) on arterial compliance, humoral factors and inflammatory markers in patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors. Nutrition & Metabolism 2010, 7:55.

Zheng HT. Selenium inhibits high glucose- and high insulin-induced adhesion molecule expression in vascular endothelial cells. Archives of Medical Research. 2008;39:373-379