Evidence-Based Supplement & Herb Guides

Coronary Artery Disease: Symptoms, Risk Factors, and Prevention

Learn the symptoms, major risk factors, testing options, and proven prevention strategies for coronary artery disease, including LDL, blood pressure, exercise, and diet.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) develops when cholesterol-rich plaque builds up in the arteries that supply the heart muscle. The process can begin years before...

Coronary Calcium Score Diet: Foods That Support Plaque Stability and What to Avoid

Build a coronary calcium score diet around vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fish, and unsaturated fats while limiting saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar.

A coronary artery calcium (CAC) score tells you that calcified plaque is present in the coronary arteries; it does not mean calcium in food...

Creatine and Blood Pressure: Is It Safe for People With Hypertension?

Creatine monohydrate does not appear to raise blood pressure at standard doses, but people with hypertension should consider kidney health, medications, product ingredients, and monitoring.

Creatine monohydrate does not appear to raise blood pressure in healthy adults at standard doses, and current evidence does not show a consistent hypertensive...

Creatine Kinase (CK) and Statins: What Elevated CK Means and When It Matters

Learn what elevated creatine kinase means during statin therapy, which CK levels are concerning, what else can raise CK, and when muscle symptoms need urgent care.

Creatine kinase (CK) is an enzyme released from muscle when muscle cells are stressed or injured. Statins can raise CK in a small number...

Cycling for Heart Health: How Often to Ride and How Hard to Go

Learn how often to cycle for heart health, how hard most rides should feel, how to use heart rate or the talk test, and how to build a safe weekly riding plan.

Cycling is an effective form of cardiovascular exercise because it can improve aerobic fitness, blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, and endurance while placing less impact...

Dark Chocolate and Blood Pressure: Cocoa %, Serving Size, and Best Options

Learn how dark chocolate may affect blood pressure, which cocoa percentage to choose, a practical 10–20 gram serving, and how to compare sugar and saturated fat.

Dark chocolate can fit into a blood-pressure-friendly diet, and cocoa-rich foods may produce a small reduction in blood pressure when eaten regularly. The benefit...

Dark Chocolate Flavanols: How Much Cocoa Helps Blood Pressure Without Extra Sugar

Learn how cocoa flavanols may modestly lower blood pressure, what doses research uses, and how to get more cocoa with less sugar and fewer excess calories.

Cocoa flavanols can produce a small blood-pressure benefit, but the amount of cocoa in a food and the amount of flavanols it contains are...

DASH Diet Grocery List: What to Buy and What to Skip

Build a practical DASH diet grocery list with low-sodium foods, produce, whole grains, beans, lean proteins, and smart label-reading tips for blood pressure.

A DASH diet grocery list is less about buying special “diet” products and more about filling your cart with everyday foods that naturally supply...

Echocardiogram Explained: What It Shows and What Results Mean

Learn what an echocardiogram shows and how to understand EF, chamber size, diastolic function, valve leakage or narrowing, RVSP, right-heart function, and pericardial fluid.

An echocardiogram is an ultrasound of the heart that shows how the chambers, valves, heart muscle, and major blood-flow patterns are working. The most...

Eggs and Cholesterol: How Many Is Too Many?

How many eggs are too many for cholesterol? Learn how egg yolks affect LDL, who may need to cut back, and how to test your personal response.

Eggs can fit into a heart-healthy diet, but there is no single “safe number” that applies to everyone. For many healthy adults, about one...

Eggs, ApoB, and LDL: Who Can Eat Eggs Daily and Who Should Cut Back?

Learn how eggs can affect ApoB and LDL, who can often eat eggs daily, who may benefit from fewer yolks, and how to test your personal cholesterol response.

Daily eggs are not automatically a problem for ApoB or LDL, but the right amount depends on how your lipoproteins respond and how much...

EKG Results Explained: Common Findings and What They Usually Mean

Understand common EKG results including sinus rhythm, bradycardia, AFib, bundle branch block, ST-T changes, LVH, and prolonged QT—and when findings need urgent care.

An EKG can show whether your heart rhythm is regular, how fast electrical signals travel through the heart, and whether there are patterns that...

Electrolyte Drinks and Blood Pressure: Sodium, Potassium, and Who Should Avoid Them

Electrolyte drinks can raise or support blood pressure depending on sodium, potassium, and your health. Learn who benefits, who should avoid them, and how to read the label.

Electrolyte drinks can be useful when you have lost a meaningful amount of fluid and salt, but they are not automatically a healthy choice...

Electrolyte Powders and Blood Pressure: Hidden Sodium and Smarter Picks

Electrolyte powders can hide 500–1,000 mg of sodium per serving. Learn how to compare labels, choose smarter options for blood pressure, and know when extra potassium is unsafe.

Electrolyte powders can hide a surprisingly large sodium dose in a product that looks like a wellness supplement. Some packets contain only 50–150 mg...

Energy Drinks and Arrhythmias: Stimulants, QT Risk, and Safer Alternatives

Energy drinks may trigger palpitations, QTc changes, and rare serious arrhythmias. Learn who is most vulnerable, which combinations raise risk, and safer alternatives for energy and focus.

Energy drinks can trigger palpitations and measurable electrical changes in the heart, and rare reports link them to serious arrhythmias. The main concern is...

Energy Drinks and Blood Pressure: Stimulants, Sodium, and Safety Red Flags

Energy drinks can raise blood pressure through caffeine and other stimulants. Learn how sodium, dose, exercise, medications, and safety red flags change your risk.

Energy drinks can raise blood pressure for several hours, mainly because of caffeine and other stimulant ingredients. In controlled trials, the average rise is...