The heart-health category needs a boost—here’s how you can keep its beat going.

If there is one category that may require more attention and hard work this year, it is the heart health category.

The pandemic, now in the Omicron phase, has created a “health halo,” especially for products that support immunity and sleep, as well as those that manage stress, mood, tension and anxiety. But for heart health? A bit of a flatline.

According to Nutrition Business Journal’s 2021 Condition-Specific Report, “In 2020, the $3.11 billion heart health market grew by 6.0 [percent], an improvement over 2019’s 5.6 [percent] but not a dramatic one. In 2021, NBJ predicts it will notch back slightly to 5.9 [percent]. By NBJ projections, heart health supplement sales will grow 3.6 [percent] in 2022 and then fall to 1.5 [percent] in 2023, the worst growth year in the category in recent memory.”

It doesn’t quite have to be that way, and as Sir Francis Bacon is known to have stated, “Knowledge is Power.”

Suppliers and brand manufacturers continue to innovate effective cardiovascular care supplements, so the quality and promise fulfillment are there. As retailers, you are on the frontline, so keeping the qualitative efficacy of products in this category in mind, you can help revive the heart health segment.

Hearts on the Mind: Consumer Mindset 2022

Jay Wilkins, ND, founder and formulator, Bionox, North Carolina, related that concern for heart health typically starts between the ages of 40 and 60, but some research has found that 70 percent of 12-year-olds already have fatty streaks developing in their arteries.

According to Trisha Sugarek MacDonald, BS, MS, senior director of research & development, Bluebonnet Nutrition Corp., Texas, cardiovascular disease, a variety of conditions that affect the heart, will likely remain the No. 1 health threat because of the impact of COVID-19 on the cardiovascular system. “Cardiovascular health will be top of mind in 2022, and consumers need to be aware that making healthier lifestyle changes is necessary for positive change,” she said. “If consumers jumpstart their lifestyles with healthier practices, the seeds of change will be planted. Eating a more nutrient-dense diet that focuses on lean proteins, vegetables, fruits and whole grains, engaging in moderate levels of exercise/physical activity, consuming adequate amounts of water for hydration, and supplementing their diets and daily regimens with condition-specific formulas for blood pressure, cholesterol, antioxidant replenishment and prostaglandin (hormone-like substances that affect inflammatory responses) synthesis, rather than just general one-a-day formulas, will maximize their efforts to stay heart healthy.” And this is the entire focus of natural products retailers who are perfectly positioned to be the genesis of this lifestyle.

Jolie Root, senior nutritionist and educator, Carlson Laboratories, Illinois, expressed that she is currently interested in reports that connect long COVID or PASC to heart-health issues. For example, she pointed, in a new study, researchers reported that 35 percent of participants with long COVID experienced breathing difficulties a year after contracting the virus, and that this condition can be caused by heart problems as well as lung issues.

Indeed, the presence of this nefarious virus has adults of all ages highly concerned about wellness. “Customers are concerned about the vaccine’s effect on their heart,” reported retailer Tim O’Brien, owner of The Healthy Place—Apple Wellness with four locations in Wisconsin. “Customers are also coming in concerned about the effects from shedding the vaccine. We have sold more heart strengthening products because of these two concerns. Most customers that are concerned about Covid are more interested in immune, lung, and inflammation versus heart health.” Overall, O’Brien observed that customers in his stores become much more concerned about heart health, cholesterol and blood pressure at around age 50.

Meanwhile, a growing trend that can positively affect your heart-health department is that of wearable technology, pointed out Ross Pelton, RPh, CCN, PhD, science director for Essential Formulas, Texas, and author of the new book, Rapamycin, mTOR, Autophagy & Treating mTOR Syndrome. “There is a fast-growing industry of wearable devices that track biological and physiological information that provides real-time monitoring of risk factors,” he commented. This will continue to enhance adults’ awareness of their heart health and being preventively action-oriented. This means seeking out cardiovascular-support (and other) products.

The Stress Factor

We cannot discuss how to develop and sustain a heart-health department without mentioning stress. The more you know about what stress reactions are and how the heart is affected, the more effectively you can counsel your customers.

The American Heart Association explains that chronic stress can lead to high blood pressure, inflammation throughout the cardiovascular system, and irregular heart rate and rhythm, cited Cheryl Myers, chief of scientific affairs and education at EuroPharma, Inc., Wisconsin. “One statistic I’ve seen says that people who are unhappy in their jobs are 20 percent more likely to have heart disease,” she said.

According to Stephen Sinatra MD, FACC, FACN, CNS, CBT of Maryland-based Healthy Directions, there are many heart disease risk factors related to chronic stress. Left unchecked, stress can:

• Raise blood pressure
• Thicken blood, so it’s more likely to clot
• Lower heart rate variability
• Cause heart rate increases, including arrhythmias
• Contribute to coronary artery disease by triggering the inflammatory process that leads to plaque buildup in arteries

Further, he explained, “chronic stress can also increase heart disease risk factors by contributing to unhealthy lifestyle choices—such as eating sweets, smoking, drinking alcohol and skipping exercise.” The stress response can also deplete important nutrients, such as B vitamins and magnesium.

According to Root, while medical science has not yet identified the precise pathways linking stress to impairment of cardiovascular function, “most likely, stress triggers inflammation, a known instigator of heart disease. And we do know that stress can trigger changes in heart rhythm and blood pressure levels which can promote heart issues if the stress is prolonged.”

A new top-of-list stress instigator is without a doubt, COVID-19 and its variants; this stress has been chronic for nearly two years. “There is a well-known link between chronic stress and heart disease,” stated Pelton, who observed that COVID-19 has caused many people with heart disease to delay seeking care due to fears of exposure to the virus. “Consequently, retailers can encourage customers to take proactive steps to strengthen and protect their cardiovascular system and boost their immune system. Examples include boosting glutathione levels and taking supplements such as coenzyme Q10 and vitamin D,” he suggested.

In MacDonald’s view, consumers are seeking dietary supplements to cope with daily pressures from high workload to family issues in a calm, collected, focused and structured way and without compromising long-term health or turning to pharmaceuticals to protect their hearts. In this case, she said, adaptogens can shine when recommending supplements for heart health support via stress care. “Many consumers are turning to adaptogens to help cope with daily stressors. Adaptogens are plants that increase the body’s resilience to stress, both mental and physical.”

New Year, New Diet—Improved Heart Status

Millions of Americans engage in annual new year’s resolutions to lose weight and tone up—and even in February, you are likely seeing more customers wanting to get into shape. They are ripe for cardiovascular wellness supplements, too. Especially those who are overweight and are getting ready to get into better health.

There is a direct link to weight and cardiovascular health status, pointed out Wilkins. He explained, “Losing weight reduces your heart’s load. In overweight and obese people, the heart has to pump blood in greater amounts, thus possibly leading to coronary heart disease. Losing weight in even the smallest amounts improves heart pumping and relaxation. By improving overall wellbeing, through maintaining a healthy weight, your customers are improving [their] heart health as well.”

Retailers, he suggested, can ensure the goals of heart health through weight loss by marking them primarily as the same thing. “Target weight loss and heart health as one and you will make your customers’ goals of heart health clear,” he commented.

Additionally, Pelton highlighted, retailers can encourage customers who want to lose weight to choose healthier foods, reduce portion sizes and get regular exercise. Another key factor for weight loss which leads to improved cardiovascular health is understanding the importance of intermittent fasting or time-restricted eating. Going for longer periods of time without ingesting food enables the process of autophagy to become activated which has enormous health benefits.

If you are already thinking that weight, while significant, is only one component to address to promote ultimate heart health wellness, you are correct—metabolic syndrome (MetS), the cluster of five conditions/numbers, can be controlled, and therefore, can help protect heart function. MacDonald explained, “Metabolic syndrome is a condition where certain risk factors for diabetes, cardiovascular and other disease tend to cluster. Obesity and being overweight contributes to a range of medical complications, such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular issues including hyperlipidemia and hypertension, among others.”

Shelf-worthy Considerations

Essential Formulas has three products that promote cardiovascular health. Its Reg’Activ formula named CardioWellness features Lactobacillus fermentum ME-3, a probiotic strain that synthesizes glutathione. In human clinical trials, people taking ME-3 experienced a 16 percent reduction in oxidized LDL-cholesterol, which is a key cardiovascular risk factor, among measurable antioxidant benefits.

Essential Formulas’ Dr. Ohhira’s line has two products for this category. Dr. Ohhira’s Essential Living Oils is a certified vegan alternative to fish oils, which millions of adults rely upon for heart health. Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics help promote and maintain the integrity of the lining of the intestinal tract and can be sold in the heart health section because, said Pelton, “Studies have reported that gut dysbiosis is implicated in the progression of the following two heart disease risk factors: atherosclerosis and hypertension.”

Bluebonnet’s most popular cardiovascular support products include Targeted Choice Blood Pressure Support, related MacDonald. Targeted Choice Blood Pressure Support includes branded, patented and clinically studied ingredients like OPtain120—a standardized extract of 50 percent onion and 50 percent pumpkin. According to studies, she explained, onion helps with blood sugar management and cardiac and cerebrovascular health, while pumpkin grown in Hokkaido, Japan contains some of the most effective ACE (angiotensin-converting-enzyme) inhibitory properties of any vegetable, thus lowering blood pressure.

“Combining these two extracts enhances the ACE inhibitory activity and is proven to work together for maximum benefits. One clinical trial showed a 6 percent systolic drop in just 12 weeks. OPtai also helps promote the restoration of healthy endothelial function. Endothelial tissue makes up the blood vessels’ interior lining, so healthy endothelial function translates to proper blood flow and healthy blood pressure.”

Carlson offers Elite Omega-3 + D and K soft gels that, according to Root, “make it possible to get the benefits of the most important omega-3s EPA and DHA (700 mg), plus vitamins D3 (2,000 IU) and K2 as MK-7 (90 mcg) in a single supplement. The supplement was formulated to “help to balance inflammation, maintain a healthy and stable heart rhythm, support both blood pressure and triglyceride levels in the normal range and support healthy blood vessels and arterial elasticity,” she described. “It is this last point that sheds light on the synergy of omega-3, vitamin D3 and vitamin K2. Vitamins D3 and K2 and MK7 govern calcium. Both nutrients support blood vessel health via blood vessel elasticity.”

Carlson also offers a new liquid supplement called Omega-3 +D and K. A serving provides 1,430 mg of omega-3s, including EPA and DHA, plus 2,000 IU (50 mcg) of D3 and 90 mcg of K2 as MK-7.

Similarly, Europharma’s Artery Strong provides a three-nutrient approach to cardiovascular health, delivering fat-soluble vitamins A, D3 and K2 for vascular health and to reduce deposition of calcium in blood vessels. New from Europharma is Astaxanthin with CoQ10, which combines astaxanthin and their CoQ10 complexed with GammaSorb for eight times higher absorption, according to Myers. “Comparisons vary, but one statistic states that astaxanthin’s antioxidant activity is 100-fold higher than alphatocopherol, a type of vitamin E,” she noted. “This also makes astaxanthin especially valuable to individuals who are susceptible to inflammatory stresses because free radical activity triggers inflammation, too.”

For example, she offered, one clinical study showed that supplementation with astaxanthin for just three months boosted HDL (good) cholesterol, lowered triglyceride levels and increased adiponectin—a peptide secreted by fat cells that may actually help reduce weight gain and prevent high blood sugar. Another clinical study has shown that astaxanthin lowers overall LDL cholesterol and LDL oxidation, helping prevent one of the leading causes of clogged arteries.

Other cardiovascular health products from Europharma include Clinical OPC (in 150 mg and 300 mg strengths) and Clinical OPC Extra Strength (400 mg per soft gel) and Clinical OPC Heart, as well as including CoQ10 Ubiquinone, CoQ10 Bioactive Ubiquinol and CoQ10 Chewable.

Bionox USA focuses its research and development on the benefits of supporting the body’s production of nitric oxide. According to Pelton, the discovery of the nitric oxide (NO) pathway won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1998 “and has fast become the most researched molecule in history. NO reduces arterial stiffness, reduces blood pressure and improves carotid artery blood flow, through dilating the blood vessels. All of our leading products provide focus on nitric oxide and heart health.”

Bionox USA provides M3 Ultimate Nitric Oxide Nutrition, Nox3 Greens Ultimate Nitric Oxide Superfood and “Our most innovative product yet,” Nox3 Beets Ultimate Nitric Oxide Lozenge, he described. Each lozenge has 100 mg of naturally occurring nitrates from beets; one lozenge is equivalent to one whole beet. Nox3 Beets supports healthy circulatory wellness [and] cellular energy, and boosts nitric oxide production. Along with Nox3 Greens, Nox3 Beets includes MyFitStrips for customers to test their effectiveness.”

Sinatra formulated several cardiovascular-support supplements for Healthy Directions, including Omega Q Plus UTRA, Omega Q Plus Max, Omega Q Plus Resveratrol, Omega Q Plus Resveratrol & Turmeric, Advanced BP Support, Omega Q Plus and Advanced Cholesterol Solutions. A new addition to this lineup is CardioSense Probiotic.

Attracting Consumers to Heart Health

Don’t let customers just wander through your heart-health aisle—and don’t let them bypass it either. Even young adults should be aware of the lifelong benefits of mindful cardiovascular protection. Chances are, if young adults are in your store regularly, they really don’t need much convincing, just knowledgeable persuasion.

MacDonald provided several tips to promote your heart health products and generate heightened heart health awareness. If your cardio aisle just says “heart” or “heart health,” invigorate it by doing a reno. “Renovation of the heart health department makes it attractive, interactive, and informative for consumers—no matter their age,” she commented. She suggested cross merchandising heart-healthy products on an end cap combining dietary supplements and packaged foods for heart health. Related products such as red yeast rice, vitamin E, ubiquinol, and niacin with signage relating to a heart-healthy diet, such as the heart-healthy pyramid, and providing a very eye-catching ensemble, can appeal to many consumers.

Select wide-ranging and appropriate targeted supplements for heart health and divide the product section into subcategories. There are six strong product sub-segments that consumers will appreciate as they represent more specific cardio-health goals they want to achieve. The six sub-categories MacDonald recommended are:

1. Maintaining low homocysteine levels (e.g., niacin, B6, B12, folic acid, and trimethylglycine)

2. Supporting blood pressure (e.g., milk-derived tripeptides, cocoa extract, niacin, grape seed extract, vitamin C, omega-3, flaxseed proteins, magnesium)

3. Maintaining healthy cholesterol levels (e.g., red yeast rice, policosanol, pantethine and plant sterols)

4. Supporting healthy triglyceride levels (e.g., omega-3 fish oils rich in EPA)

5. Providing general heart health and antioxidant support (e.g., CoQ10 - ubiquinol or ubiquinone, vitamin D3, omega-3 fish oil, flax oil, vitamin E, magnesium, arginine, fiber powder, superfruits like pomegranate standardized for polyphenols and green products like Bluebonnet’s Super Earth Organic Greens)

6. Maintaining a healthy weight (e.g., Garcinia cambogia, chromium).

MacDonald added that as you are retooling your heart-health product inventory—avoid too much product redundancy. “Focus on one particular heart health subcategory or pick three popular items across the heart health categories for an overall heart health approach and then rotate monthly,” she advised. For example, provide an endcap with red yeast rice, ubiquinol and omega-three fish oils, and provide literature that states the heart-healthy benefits of each and merchandise accordingly on endcaps or special “heart-healthy stand or table.”

When it comes to heart health, Sinatra said he likes to recommend a two-pronged approach. First, give consumers a full-spectrum formula that supports multiple aspects of heart health at once—including healthy cholesterol levels, blood pressure, blood flow and overall heart health. Then, provide targeted options that zero in on specific health needs where they need more support—such as cholesterol.

“Also,” he cautioned, “we can’t think of heart health in isolation. It’s also important to support lung health—since lung health has a huge impact on heart health. Plus, healthy digestion and a healthy immune system are extremely important to the heart and overall health—especially in today’s post-pandemic environment.” VR

For More Information:

Bionox USA, www.bionoxusa.com
Bluebonnet Nutrition Corp., www.bluebonnetnutrition.com
Carlson Laboratories, www.carlsonlabs.com
Essential Formulas Inc., www.essentialformulas.com
EuroPharma Inc./Terry Naturally, www.europharmausa.com
Healthy Directions, www.healthydirections.com

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