Vitamins That Can Help Your Heart

Take care in choosing vitamins and supplements to fight cholesterol and help your heart. Only a few have research to back their claims.

By Martha Miller Johnson

You can save a lot by taking over-the-counter vitamins instead of prescriptions, but do they all have the heart benefits that they claim?

Federal law does not require dietary supplements to be proven safe to the FDA's satisfaction before they're marketed. Also, manufacturers and sellers of dietary and herbal supplements don't have to prove that the claims made on labels are even true. That's where Heart-Healthy Online steps in. Read on for five supplements that benefit your heart and five whose claims haven't been proven.

First things first: Do your homework before taking any vitamins or supplements. Talk with your doctor or visit the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at nccam.nih.gov. The site provides detailed information on vitamins, minerals, herbs, and supplements.

Also, before you buy, check the expiration date on the bottom of most vitamin and supplement bottles.