Cardiovascular Health

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Cardiovascular Health brings together supplements built around nutrients involved in normal heart, muscle and blood vessel function, including omega-3 fish oil, magnesium, potassium, B vitamins, vitamin K2 and beetroot. Brands include NOW Foods, Life Extension, AllMax, Horbaach and Doctor's Best. Supplements sit alongside diet, activity and regular check-ups with your doctor, not in place of them.

Read the Cardiovascular Health buying guide
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Cardiovascular Health: buying guide

Start with food

The Heart Foundation recommends 2 to 3 servings of fish a week, including oily fish such as salmon, sardines or mackerel, and suggests Australians aim for 250 to 500 mg of marine omega-3s (EPA and DHA) a day. It notes that food sources are enough for most people and suggests checking with your doctor before taking omega-3 supplements. Plant sources of ALA include walnuts, chia and flaxseed.

What is in this collection

  • Omega-3 (fish oil). EPA and DHA are found mainly in fish and seafood, and your body converts only small amounts of plant ALA into them. Supplements come as fish oil, krill oil, cod liver oil and algal oil.
  • Magnesium. Involved in muscle and nerve function and in making protein, bone and DNA. The upper limit from supplements for adults is 350 mg a day.
  • Potassium. Used for heart and kidney function and muscle contraction. Most supplements provide no more than 99 mg per serve, so food remains the main source.
  • Vitamin K2. Vitamin K supports normal blood clotting and bone health.
  • Beetroot. A source of dietary nitrate, studied mainly for exercise performance. See our beetroot collection.

How to compare products

  • For fish oil, read the EPA plus DHA content per serve, not just the total oil weight.
  • Check the number of capsules per serve, which changes how long a bottle lasts.
  • Compare the dose with the upper limits above, and count any multivitamin you already take.

Safety and medicines

This is a category where checking with your doctor or pharmacist matters. High doses of omega-3 may increase bleeding risk with warfarin or other anticoagulants. People on warfarin are advised to keep vitamin K intake about the same each day, so adding a K2 supplement can affect treatment. Potassium can build up in people with kidney disease or those taking ACE inhibitors or potassium-sparing diuretics. Magnesium can reduce absorption of some antibiotics and osteoporosis medicines if taken too close together. If you take any blood pressure, cholesterol or blood-thinning medicine, talk to your doctor before adding a supplement, including nattokinase.

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Related categories

Sources: Heart Foundation: omega-3, omega-6 and heart health; NIH ODS: Omega-3 fatty acids; NIH ODS: Potassium.

Order online with Australia-wide delivery, free on orders of $100 or more, or visit a Supps247 store in Melbourne, regional Victoria or Brisbane to compare products in person before you buy. Members can use our price match guarantee on full-priced items.

Always read the label and follow the directions for use. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant or take regular medication, check with your doctor first.

Cardiovascular Health: questions and answers

How much omega-3 should I have each day?
The Heart Foundation suggests Australians aim for 250 to 500 mg of marine omega-3s, EPA and DHA combined, each day, and recommends 2 to 3 servings of fish a week. If you choose a supplement, read the EPA and DHA content per serve on the label rather than the total fish oil weight, and check with your doctor first.
Can I take fish oil if I am on blood thinners?
Talk to your doctor first. The US National Institutes of Health notes that high doses of omega-3s may cause bleeding problems when taken with warfarin or other anticoagulant medicines. Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you whether a supplement is suitable alongside your medicine and what dose, if any, makes sense.
Why does vitamin K matter if I take warfarin?
Warfarin works against vitamin K's role in blood clotting. The US National Institutes of Health advises people on warfarin to keep their vitamin K intake from food and supplements about the same every day, because a sudden change can affect how the medicine works. Check with your doctor before starting a K2 product or a D3 and K2 combination.
Are potassium supplements safe?
Most potassium supplements provide no more than 99 mg per serve, so food is the main source. The US National Institutes of Health warns that people with kidney disease, or who take ACE inhibitors or potassium-sparing diuretics, can develop high blood potassium. Salt substitutes often contain potassium too. Check with your doctor if any of these apply to you.

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