The heart is a muscle — and it needs this mineral for healthy functioning. Studies have shown that magnesium is linked to cardiovascular conditions, with low magnesium levels contributing to heart disease. Magnesium is found in nuts, legumes, sunflower seeds, spinach, kohlrabi, bananas and raspberries.

Studies have shown that increasing vitamin C intake reduces the risk of heart disease. People with high blood pressure have an increased chance of having heart disease than those without, and Vitamin C has been shown to lower blood pressure. It is found in spinach, capsicums, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, blackcurrants, sea buckthorn and rosehip.

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Studies have found that regularly taking higher doses of vitamin E helps prevent vascular calcification. Vitamin E, like other antioxidants, help prevent diseases by fighting free radicals that are formed in and out of your body. Heart disease is one of them. Vitamin E is found in walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, muesli, sunflower oil and olive oil.

Potassium is the most important mineral inside cells and, combined with magnesium, is responsible for controlling muscle function. In fact, lower levels of potassium may be why somebody’s muscles may cramp more than others. All three muscle groups – smooth, skeletal and cardiac muscles – require potassium to work. Potassium is found in bananas, peaches, apricots, apples, strawberries, honeydew melon, figs, green vegetables, potatoes and wheat germ.

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Q10 latches onto harmful LDL cholesterol, preventing it from building up on the inside of vascular walls. As high blood pressure and coronary artery disease lead to oxidative damage and inflammation of the heart and veins, they sometimes result in heart failure. Treatments have produced results that show Coenzyme Q10 reducing such damage and improving heart conditions. It is found in meat (make sure it’s unprocessed), eggs, sardines, mackerel, olive oil, nuts, potatoes, spinach and broccoli.

Studies have found that people low in vitamin D have a 40 percent greater risk of cardiovascular disease. Acting as a hormone, vitamin D regulates over 200 genes throughout the body. It has been shown to benefit the body, such as by helping regulate blood pressure in the kidney and pancreas. Vitamin D is found in herring, salmon, oysters, tuna, eggs, cheese, mushrooms and avocado.

The sulphuric compound known as allicin, which gives garlic its typical smell, can naturally reduce both blood pressure and blood lipids. On the long run, they may prevent you from getting atherosclerosis, high blood pressure and high cholesterol – all of which may lead to heart disease. Allicin is found in onions, garlic, and garlic compounds.

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Omega-3 fatty acids improve blood flow and reduce the cardiovascular system’s tendency to become inflamed. Not only that, they also have been shown to reduce blood pressure levels in those with high blood pressure, and can even raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels, that remove cholesterol from your body. They are found in linseed oil, hempseed oil, walnut oil, rapeseed oil, chia seeds and fatty fish.

Several studies have found that the composition of gut bacteria has a considerable influence on heart health. These studies have shown that certain probiotics have reduced cholesterol, blood pressure and inflammation in people. Probiotics are found in yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, pickles, apple cider vinegar and cheese.

Antioxidants like the red pigment in tomatoes, known as lycopene, neutralise cell-damaging free radicals. Free radicals, when higher than antioxidant levels, create oxidative stress in the body which in turn may lead to heart disease. This means they give you protection from not only environmental toxins, but chronic diseases as well. They are found in tomatoes, grapefruit, watermelon and guava.

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