Vitamins And Minerals That Especially Support The Heart.

Making sure that each day you consume the standard recommended daily intake levels of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients is an important factor in helping the heart to perform its most important task, which is to pump the blood through the circulatory system. This is how oxygen and nutrients are carried throughout the body. When the heart is healthy, it is able to respond efficiently to the body’s changing needs for oxygen and nutrients, which vary with different activity levels throughout the day and night. There are several vitamins and minerals that specifically support the heart in these important tasks.

Potassium is a mineral that is quite important to heart function. At the most basic level, potassium is essential to the rhythmic, smooth, and continuous contractions of the heart. That is because potassium supports the nerve transmissions, or the communications, that every muscle in the body needs to move. In this manner, potassium serves to regulate the heartbeat.

In addition to its importance to the health of the bones and the teeth, Vitamin D is important to heart health and function. In fact, recent research has found that meeting the standard recommended daily intake levels can significantly reduce the risk of death from heart disease. Sufficient intake of Vitamin D has been connected with reducing inflammation, which is a common feature of heart disease. Vitamin D plays a role in the ability of the heart to pump blood efficiently, as well as affects the structure of the cells located in the heart.

Children need between 200 and 300 International Units of Vitamin D per day. Adults should have about 400 International Units per day, with those over 55 increasing that dosage to 800 International Units. It is, however, important not to take too much Vitamin D, as it can negatively affect health.

Selenium is another mineral that is important to the function and health of the heart. It partners with Vitamin E and serves as an important antioxidant, in addition to its role in keeping the tissues of the body flexible. This offers protection against diseases of the heart and blood vessels. Deficiency in selenium has been connected to various types of heart diseases and conditions, including an enlarged heart and compromised heart function in children. For adult males, selenium intake should be about 70 micrograms per day. Adult females should have a selenium intake of about 55 micrograms daily.

Magnesium serves the heart with its important functions in muscle contraction – helping to regulate the neuromuscular activity that assures a regular heartbeat -- as well as its role in helping the body to use potassium and calcium, both of which affect heart health and function. Adult men should have about 350mg of magnesium per day, and adult women need 280mg daily. Children, depending on size and weight need between 130mg and 240mg of magnesium each day.

Dietary supplements can play an important role in seeing that the standard recommended daily intake levels for essential vitamins, minerals and other nutrients are met. However, supplements should be used with care and attention to standard dosages, as too much of anything can have adverse effects.