Research Supports Heart Healthy Ingredients

It’s impossible to achieve a healthy body without a healthy heart. There are many factors that can impact a heart’s health, and research supports natural ingredients to keep a healthy heart beating strong.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a global problem—according to the American Heart Association (AHA), CVD is the leading cause of death globally, and accounts for 17.3 million deaths each year. What’s more, AHA predicts that number will grow to more than 23.6 million by 2030.

“The global incidence of cardiovascular disease is unlikely to decline in the foreseeable future," said Vanessa Agnolutto, communication manager at Nexira. “In fact, there are plenty of indications that the number of people affected will only increase because the cardiovascular risk is associated with a combination of several parameters, such as overweight, high blood pressure, low HDL [high-density lipoprotein] cholesterol, high levels of triglycerides and high blood sugar concentration."

All of those parameters are among AHA’s “Life’s Simple 7," a list of seven factors that can impact risk for heart attack and stroke, which also includes not smoking, physical activity and healthy diet.

While lifestyle factors play a huge role in keeping the heart healthy, natural ingredients also have their place, and can help keep potential risk factors, such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels, healthy.

Importantly, consumers recognize the issue of heart disease, and are taking measures to prevent and manage poor heart health. According to part-one of the three-part “Health and Wellness in America," series by Nielsen and the Natural Marketing Institute (NMI) published in 2014, 57 percent of Baby Boomers want more heart healthy ingredients, as well as antioxidants and vitamins/minerals. In addition, heart health was deemed important across all age cohorts, cited among the top-two most important wellness aspirations by consumers along with weight maintenance.

However, in order to reach consumers who are seeking heart healthy products, manufacturers must support the efficacy of their ingredients with adequate research. Fortunately, several ingredients have been tested and proven effective. To read about these ingredients, check out the article, “Diving Head-First into Heart Health," In the Heart Health Content Library.