Lower doses also may benefit arteries, says researcher Balz Frei. Further, 600mg and 1,000mg of vitamin C daily lessened heart damage and irregular heartbeats in patients, according to other new research. Get B vitamins. You must take in enough folic acid, B6 and B12 to suppress the production of artery-destroying homocysteine, an amino acid in the blood. Much research confirms that low intake of B vitamins, notably folic acid, is a precursor to heart disease in both sexes.
Numerous studies find fish eaters have less heart disease.
Most experts recommend eating fish two or three times a week, especially fatty sardines, salmon and mackerel. One recent Harvard study noted that eating fish every day did not offer more benefit. Recent research credits flavonoids with lowering heart disease risk, chiefly by thinning the blood and preventing cholesterol damage. Flavonoids are a primary reason that red wine appears to lower the risk of heart disease. Restrict intake to one or two glasses a day.