Did you know that some amino acids can help boost your heart’s health? The following are some of the best amino acids for the heart.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. In fact, almost half of all U.S. adults have cardiovascular disease. For this reason, it’s important that you prioritize your heart health. The following article explores the different benefits certain amino acids can provide for your health.
Heart Disease Factors
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) name three main risk factors for heart disease: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking. Specifically, high blood pressure (or hypertension) can narrow the blood vessels, which leads to poor circulation, making it harder for the heart to pump blood.
As a result, it can lead to heart disease. However, studies show that by lowering your blood pressure by just 5 mm Hg, you can decrease your risk of a stroke by about 34 percent and your risk of ischemic heart disease by 21 percent.
Blood Pressure and Amino Acids
Amino acids help form the protein in our bodies, which is the second most abundant substance that we have. Moreover, protein helps regulate just about every biochemical reaction we need for survival. Two of the most important amino acids that can help with blood pressure are l-arginine and l-citrulline.
L-arginine and L-citrulline
L-arginine (or simply arginine) is a semi-essential amino acid that helps with the production of nitric oxide (NO) in the body. In turn, nitric oxide acts as a powerful vasodilator that relaxes blood vessels and improves blood flow.
According to various studies, taking l-arginine supplements may help improve circulation throughout the body. It does this by decreasing systolic blood pressure while simultaneously increasing the elasticity of blood vessel walls.
Another important amino acid is l-citrulline (or citrulline). Just like l-arginine, l-citrulline acts as a precursor to nitric oxide. It works by converting into arginine in the kidneys. Since the body takes longer to metabolize citrulline, there is more arginine in the blood than simply taking standalone l-arginine supplements.
In addition to supplements, you can increase your arginine and citrulline through diet. Some good dietary sources of these amino acids include beans, meat, onions, dark chocolate, watermelon, pumpkin seeds, nuts, and spirulina.
Taking Care of Your Heart
If you want to avoid becoming another statistic, then you need to manage your heart health and decrease the risk of developing heart disease. You can do this by leading a healthy lifestyle that involves regular exercise and healthy eating.
Furthermore, you can boost your heart health by taking certain supplements – specifically l-arginine and l-citrulline supplements. One supplement that stands out is L-arginine Plus because of its combination of these two amino acids.
By combining both into one formula, it effectively promotes healthy circulation, blood pressure, cholesterol, and more. Give your health the support it deserves by adopting healthy habits and taking L-arginine Plus.