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The Healf Source
What Your Heart Needs From You: How To Keep It Healthy For Life
Written by: Pippa Thackeray
Written on: February 7, 2025
In the month of Valentine's Day (and Heart Awareness Month), let’s take a moment to reflect on the wonders of the heart. Across many cultures globally, the heart is not simplistically viewed as an isolated physical organ but as a metronomic symbol of stamina and connection. In a similar way, cardiovascular health doesn't just describe the avoidance of disease; it’s about optimising the body's most relentless muscle, sustaining life through times of exertion and rest, through all the emotional tides we cannot foresee.
From a young age, we have been educated to know the importance of movement, a balanced diet, and stress management. So instead, we invite you to go beyond the basics to recognise science-backed strategies and contemporary conversations on cardiovascular health optimisation. We also acknowledge the ultimate synergy that may only come from addressing the overlooked spiritual aspect of heart health.
How much thought do you really give to your heart?
It beats around 100,000 times a day. Let's explore some ways to give back.
Research suggests that supplemental CoQ10 is beneficial for mitochondrial energy production. Other studies also indicate it may improve what's known as ‘ejection fraction’ in heart failure patients, essentially helping the heart pump more efficiently, while also supporting blood vessel function in those at risk of cardiovascular disease. In other words, it is thought that providing the body with quality CoQ10 may result in better energy, better circulation, and a heart that can do its job with less strain.
For those looking for a reliable source, Thorne’s CoQ10 offers a bioavailable formulation designed to maximise absorption.
Training in Zone 2, which means working at 60-70% of your maximum heart rate — does more than just build endurance. It powers up mitochondrial efficiency, increasing both their number and function, whilst improving your body's ability to adapt between fuel sources, making energy production more efficient and sustainable.
Use WHOOP 5.0 to track strain, HRV, and recovery to optimise mitochondrial efficiency, metabolic flexibility, and endurance while preventing overtraining.
The outdated and overly simplistic concept that LDL is “bad” and HDL is “good” no longer tells us the full story on cholesterol. Today, more precise approaches consider factors like LDL particle size and oxidation levels.
This can be explained in that small, dense LDL particles have a much higher likelihood of contributing to artery-clogging plaques than their larger, more buoyant counterparts. Another key factor is lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], which is a genetic marker not typically looked for in routine screenings in a universal sense, but is now being recognised as a major risk factor for atherosclerosis. Understanding these layers and nuances of cholesterol metabolism provides a clearer picture of cardiovascular risk beyond the standard lipid panel commonly seen in medical practice.
Thorne’s Heart Health Complex supports heart function with CoQ10 for energy, along with supporting nutrients and herbal components such as taurine for cholesterol metabolism and rhythm, and hawthorn extract to strengthen blood vessels. Magnesium and potassium aid heart muscle function, while flavonoids in hawthorn offer antioxidant protection.
Quality heart and liver supplements offer some of the most bioavailable sources of heme iron, CoQ10, and B vitamins. Such nutrients are essential for keeping the heart pumping efficiently and maintaining that the oxygen reaches every cell. But, if you put it into context that a strong cardiovascular system is key to brain health, and poor circulation is linked to cognitive decline, the benefits are obviously further reaching than just the health of the heart.
If you prefer a quicker solution to cooking and eating nutrient-rich whole offal cuts, Heart & Soil’s Lifeblood provides a blend of desiccated heart, spleen, and liver to boost iron status and circulatory health.
More and more research coming out is confirming HRV, the fluctuation in time between heartbeats, as a powerful indicator of autonomic balance and cardiovascular adaptability.
Going back to what HRV means, it’s a measure of the variation between heartbeats, controlled by the autonomic nervous system. A higher HRV suggests a more balanced autonomic state, linked to better stress resilience and cardiovascular fitness. A lower HRV, on the other hand, may correlate with dominance of the fight-or-flight response, chronic stress, and increased cardiovascular risk.
Higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness are generally associated with higher HRV. Research is now confirming that there may exist a clear link between higher cardiorespiratory fitness and a reduced risk of dementia (and a delay in onset). The same impact is also evident in those with a genetic predisposition to dementia development, with mitigation levels at 35%.
Wearable technology such as the Oura Ring Gen3 Horizon and WHOOP allows continuous HRV monitoring, enabling biofeedback-driven interventions.
Intriguing research indicates that even with weekend recovery sleep, cardiovascular health measures such as heart rate and blood pressure worsen over the course of a sleep deprived week. This suggests that while weekend catch-up sleep may offer some benefits, it doesn't fully counteract the negative effects of consistent sleep deprivation. As a result, experts suggest you aim to get your 7-9 hours in every night by starting your sleep hygiene routine at a consistent time each day.
A new study emphasises the importance of monitoring nocturnal hypoxia and sympathetic nervous system activity as significant predictors of major adverse cardiovascular events.
From this it could be deduced that disrupted breathing during sleep (often due to mouth breathing) can increase these risks, thereby increasing strain on the heart. Encouraging nasal breathing with Dryft Sleep Mouth Tape may support better oxygenation, reduced sympathetic activation, and improved sleep quality — all of which contribute to cardiovascular health in the short-term and the long-term.
A basic duality that has been recognised across many cultures for many centuries or even millennia — ask someone what they feel when you say the word heart and they will usually place their hands over the centre of their chest, not to the anatomical place of their beating heart but their spiritual one.
Coherence can be defined as a harmonious alignment among the brain, heart, and body, resulting in a unified state of mind, body, and spirit.
Spiritual, yet measurable; brainwave activity plays a large role in emotional regulation and resilience. It is also worth understanding how the heart communicates with the brain through multiple pathways, including neurological, biochemical, and electromagnetic channels. Therefore, the heart can be seen as a central reference point for regulating these processes.
Further to that point, research indicates that individuals with higher HRV tend to exhibit better emotional wellbeing compared to those with lower HRV.
Unlike traditional breathwork techniques, HRM focuses on conscious awareness of the heart’s rhythm, enhancing interoceptive awareness. It’s a practice shown to increase parasympathetic tone, improve HRV, and strengthen the connection between the heart and brain. Research suggests it may enhance emotional regulation, cognitive flexibility, and stress resilience by promoting vagal tone.
Research suggests that people with a sense of spiritual connection, be it through meditation, or religious practice, tend to have lower inflammatory markers and r educed cardiovascular mortality. In a similar fashion, it was found that engagement in community-driven spiritual practices is linked to improved stress resilience and heart health.
An internationally recognised form of biofield therapy, Reiki has been explored for its potential to influence autonomic function, including blood pressure and HRV. It is perhaps true that its exact mechanisms remain challenging to study at present, yet research suggests it may promote relaxation and energy balance, all crucial factors that could support cardiovascular and nervous system regulation.
As scientific methodologies advance, there's optimism that future studies will provide clearer explanations for its use.
The beats to remember
This article serves as a reminder that the heart does so much more than just pump blood.
A complex and indeed astonishingly powerful organ, it holds energy, memory and emotion with every rhythm created. And, although tracking it through various devices can provide us with precious insights into our health, heart health itself extends far beyond the numbers. Modern research is only beginning to understand such a seamless choreography of mitochondria happening against the quietly intelligent backdrop of the nervous system.
EAT: Nourish your heart with nutrient-dense foods and supplements. Support healthy circulation, cholesterol balance, and boost resilience.
MOVE: Keep your strength with movement essentials that push endurance and circulation for the good of your cardiovascular function.
MIND: Manage stress and support heart rate variability with tools for mindfulness, breathwork, and for getting closer to emotional equilibrium.
SLEEP: Prioritise deep, restorative sleep to regulate blood pressure, reduce inflammation, and optimise recovery of the heart organ through sufficient rest.
References:
1. https://www.bhf.org.uk/how-you-can-help/support-our-campaigns/heart-month
2. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4179748/
3. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10779395/
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35076012/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK570621/
6. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11174546
7. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.122.321667
8. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/heart-rate-variability-new-way-track-well-2017112212789
9. https://bmjgroup.com/high-cardiorespiratory-fitness-linked-to-lower-risk-of-dementia/
10. https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1bM-ZG1AYL0xIc3u3vwpypDWOwFgPebbyPV_Kw-s-__g/edit
11. https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.18602
12. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17705904/
13. https://www.oatext.com/the-heart-and-the-brain-quantic-interaction.php#Article
14. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5761738/
15. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11310241/
16. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11390335
17. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3151546/
19. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4147026/
This article is for informational purposes only, even if and regardless of whether it features the advice of physicians and medical practitioners. This article is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and should never be relied upon for specific medical advice. The views expressed in this article are the views of the expert and do not necessarily represent the views of Healf
Pippa is a content writer and qualified Nutritional Therapist (DipNT) creating research-based content with a passion for many areas of wellbeing, including hormonal health, mental health and digestive health.
As a contributor to The Healf Source, she regularly attends seminars and programmes on a plethora of contemporary health issues and modern research insights with a drive to never stop learning. In addition, interviewing experts and specialists across The Four Pillars: EAT, MOVE, MIND, SLEEP.
In her spare time, she is an avid swimmer, mindfulness and yoga lover, occasionally bringing a raw, honest approach to the topics she faces. You may also discover some personal accounts of eye-opening wellbeing experiences amidst the reality of a disorientating, and often conflicting, modern wellbeing space.
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