Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the world. One of the main reasons is a condition called atherosclerosis.
This happens when fatty substances, called plaques, build up inside our arteries. These plaques can block blood flow or suddenly break open, leading to heart attacks and strokes.
One of the biggest risk factors for this condition is something called dyslipidemia. This means there are too many harmful fats, such as cholesterol and triglycerides, in your blood. Almost half of all adults have this problem, which puts them at higher risk of heart disease.
Doctors usually treat dyslipidemia with medications that lower blood fat levels. These medicines also help stabilize the plaques in the arteries. But even with treatment, the plaques don’t completely go away. Now, two new studies have found something exciting. A simple mineral—manganese—might help reverse plaque buildup in the arteries.
Manganese is a mineral your body needs in small amounts. It helps with important body functions like building bones and supporting certain enzymes. But scientists have just discovered that it might do something even more powerful: it could help lower blood fats and clean out clogged arteries.
In the study, researchers gave increasing doses of manganese to mice with cardiovascular disease. They found that manganese could reduce both cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Even more impressive, it helped clear out artery plaques in the mice.
How does it work? To understand that, we need to know how fats move around in the body. Fats travel in the blood using small structures called lipoproteins. These lipoproteins use a transport system in the body called COPII (coat protein complex II). This system helps package and send fats where they need to go.
Manganese changes how the COPII system works. It binds to this complex and causes a special effect scientists call “bell-shaped.” This means that with the right amount of manganese, blood fat levels go down, not up. That’s a big deal for heart health.
Dr. Xiao Wang, one of the lead researchers, said he’s very hopeful about this finding. He believes that therapies based on manganese could one day be used to prevent and treat heart disease. But for now, this research is still new. More studies are needed to make sure it’s safe and works in humans.
If it proves to be effective, manganese could become a natural, affordable way to fight heart disease. This would be a big step forward, especially since heart disease continues to affect so many people worldwide.
In the meantime, the best way to protect your heart is to live a healthy lifestyle. This includes eating a balanced diet, getting regular exercise, and keeping your cholesterol levels under control.
Other research also points to helpful tips. Some herbal supplements may affect heart rhythm, and eating eggs in moderation may lower heart disease risk. There’s also new work being done to prevent heart attacks and strokes, and scientists are even looking into a heart drug that might lower your chances of getting COVID-19.
If you care about your heart, look into healthy foods like oranges and black beans. Studies suggest they can help reduce the risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. You might also want to check out simple meal plans designed for people with diabetes, which can also support heart health.
This exciting research about manganese and heart health was recently published in the journal Life Metabolism.
If you care about heart health, please read studies that Manganese can help clear arterial plaques and treat heart disease and Aspirin use linked to heart failure.
For more information about heart health, please read studies about the blood thinner drug that can prevent strokes in people with hidden heart issues and new guidelines on daily aspirin for heart attack and stroke prevention.
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