07/03/2024
Vascular vitality and boosting endothelial function
In arteries, the gradual accumulation of plaque causes the blood vessels to narrow over time. However, the plaque itself can also become unstable and rupture. This can potentially damage the inner lining of the arteries (endothelium) and block blood flow.
Despite extensive research and medication, cardiovascular disease remains a leading killer. Statins, while beneficial for high-risk patients, come with side effects and limitations.
The risk of a cardiovascular event is highest for those with arterial plaques at the most advanced level. Commonly, there are no symptoms until this process triggers a stroke or heart attack. A standardized extract derived from French maritime pine bark has been shown to halt plaque accumulation.
Supporting this, the plant extract centella asiatica has been shown to help preserve the hard cap on existing atherosclerotic plaques, making them less likely to rupture and cause a fatal cardiovascular event.
What is atherosclerosis?
Atherosclerosis is a major challenge that comes with the ageing process. It is the dangerous plaque buildup in arteries (1,2). This heightens the risk of heart attacks or strokes without warning symptoms (3).
Both the French maritime pine bark and Centella asiatica extracts have been found to prevent plaque growth and stabilize it. This particularly reduces the likelihood of cardiovascular incidents.
Studies show that together, they offer enhanced protection, potentially cut the plaque progression by 95% (4).
What is endothelial function?
Endothelial function is like the health check-up of the inner walls of your blood vessels.
These inner walls, called the endothelium, have several jobs:
- They help control how wide or narrow your blood vessels are, which affects blood pressure and how much blood gets to different parts of your body.
- They help prevent unnecessary blood clots from forming inside your vessels, ensuring blood flows smoothly. They can call in white blood cells to fight off infections or heal injuries.
- They act like bouncers at the door, deciding what gets into the blood and what stays out.
- They assist in creating new pathways for blood flow, which is important for healing wounds or growing new tissues.
When the endothelium is not working well ("endothelial dysfunction"), it's like the body's internal traffic system breaking down.
This can lead to:
- Narrowed blood vessels
- Unwanted blood clots
- A higher risk for heart problems
It's important for our health to keep this endothelial layer functioning properly to prevent diseases, especially those related to the heart and blood vessels.
French maritime pine bark extract and centalla asiatica
What does french maritime pine bark extract do?
French maritime pine bark extract helps slow arterial plaque (5).
It does this by altering fat metabolism and reducing inflammation, crucial in atherosclerosis prevention (6,7).
It has been shown in studies to:
- Decrease plaque and cholesterol levels
- Improve HDL ('good' cholesterol) (8)
- It can also enhance endothelial function by boosting nitric oxide production (9,10), essential for keeping arteries open and reducing clot risks (11).
Clinical trials have further validated its potential to prevent artery constriction and promote better blood flow:
- A study was conducted on 23 patients with coronary artery disease, assessing the effects of French maritime pine bark extract (200 mg daily for eight weeks) on endothelial function and blood flow.
- The treatment significantly improved endothelial function by 32% and reduced oxidative stress, indicating its potential to slow plaque formation (12).
- Another study in Italy with 93 volunteers at risk of coronary artery disease due to elevated blood pressure, lipids, and sugar levels showed that 150 mg of the extract daily increased blood flow significantly, highlighting its preventive benefits for early-stage cardiovascular risks (13).
- This research stresses that French maritime pine bark extract as a promising option for preventing and managing early arterial changes and coronary artery disease.
What is centella asiatica?
Centella asiatica, known as gotu kola, has been shown to stabilize arterial plaques by enhancing collagen synthesis. This is crucial for maintaining the hard caps of plaques and preventing rupture (14,15).
In studies, participants with soft plaques taking 60 mg of this extract thrice daily saw a 30% denser plaque over 12 months, reducing the risk of strokes or heart attacks (16).
Further research confirmed its efficacy in improving plaque stability and preventing cardiovascular events (16).
Dual compound clinical research
To explore the effects of combining French maritime pine bark and centella asiatica on atherosclerosis, a study involved individuals aged 45 to 60 with class IV plaques (4).
Over 30 months, those taking both extracts saw a 95% lower plaque progression than controls (4). Further research on subjects with advanced atherosclerosis (class V) showed a significant reduction in progression to symptomatic class VI, highlighting a dramatic decrease in cardiovascular risks and hospitalization rates (17).
Another trial with patients aged 45 to 60 with 50%-60% arterial occlusion (a blockage of blood to limbs) confirmed these compounds stabilize and reduce plaque accumulation effectively without adverse effects, outperforming standard management (18).
Over four years, both treatments showed significant benefits in reducing plaque size and angina, with the combination formula notably decreasing the incidence of heart attacks (19).
Additional research on asymptomatic patients (20) with risk factors demonstrated that supplementation improved plaque stability and reduced oxidative stress without adverse effects, showing the formula’s role in comprehensive cardiovascular protection.
The four main heart nutrients
What are the most important supplements for heart health?
The four go-to nutrients for a healthy heart are:
- Omega 3s and fish oil
- Coq10
- Vitamin K
- Magnesium
- Read more about this on our heart page: All about heart health
Further natural ways to benefit heart health
Pomegranete
Pomegranate extract significantly protects against cardiovascular disease by targeting endothelial health. It exhibits multiple mechanisms like:
- Reducing cholesterol accumulation.
- Protecting LDL ('bad' cholesterol) from oxidation.
- Shrinking atherosclerotic plaque (21-23).
Importantly, it enhances artery elasticity to improve blood flow and pressure (23,24).
In ageing individuals, both diminished nitric oxide production and increased levels of oxidative stress lead to endothelial dysfunction being common. This in turn results in heart attacks and strokes (25,26,27-29).
Thus, pomegranate can fight these issues by supporting antioxidant defenses and protecting LDL from oxidative damage (22,23), contributing to cardiovascular health (24-26).
Additionally, pomegranate boosts superoxide dismutase (SOD), further aiding endothelial function (30-34).
Amla
Oxidative stress, high cholesterol, and elevated glucose combined also lead to endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffness, majorly contributes to cardiovascular disease (41-57), amla can help.
Amla, an Ayrdurrvic staple shown to reduce arterial stiffness, can protect endothelial function, and offer cardioprotective benefits in various studies, making it an effective natural aid for heart health (58-86).
Studies on amla confirm this efficacy in reducing risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease, including:
- Stress-induced arterial stiffness
- Endothelial dysfunction in smokers
- Individuals with metabolic syndrome or diabetes (87-92)
Black tea
Amla and black tea extracts work synergistically to:
- Improve endothelial health by reducing oxidative stress.
- Enhancing nitric oxide production.
- Improving lipid profiles (58-60).
Black tea can help in improving endothelial function, reducing cholesterol, inflammation, oxidative stress, and blood pressure variations (93-109).
Together, these extracts provide natural defense against cardiovascular disease, offering a safer alternative to statins and addressing the complex factors contributing to heart health (110).
Read more blog posts
- Naturally improving your heart health
- How to lower your cholesterol
- CoQ10 can support the heart
- See all blog posts
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