Heart disease is the top cause of death around the world. One major reason is a condition called atherosclerosis.
This happens when fatty substances, known as plaques, build up inside your arteries. These plaques can block blood flow or break open suddenly, which can cause heart attacks and strokes.
A big risk factor for this condition is called dyslipidemia. This means that there are too many harmful fats, like cholesterol and triglycerides, in the blood. Nearly half of all adults have this problem, putting them at greater risk for heart disease.
Doctors usually treat dyslipidemia with medicines that lower the amount of fat in the blood. These drugs also help make plaques more stable. But even with these treatments, the plaques don’t go away completely.
Now, two new studies have found something exciting. A simple mineral called manganese might help reverse plaque buildup in the arteries.
Manganese is something the body needs in small amounts. It helps build bones and supports enzymes that keep the body working. But scientists now believe it may also help clean out clogged arteries and lower harmful blood fats.
In the study, researchers gave different amounts of manganese to mice that had heart disease. They found that manganese lowered both cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Even more surprising, it helped clear away plaques in the arteries of the mice.
To understand how this works, it helps to know how fats move in the body. Fats travel in the blood using small carriers called lipoproteins. These lipoproteins rely on a system called COPII, which is short for coat protein complex II. This system helps package and move fats to where they need to go.
Manganese changes how this system works. It attaches to COPII and causes what scientists call a “bell-shaped” effect. That means that at the right amount, manganese helps lower fat levels in the blood instead of raising them. This is a big deal for improving heart health.
Dr. Xiao Wang, one of the scientists who led the study, said he is very hopeful about these results. He thinks manganese-based treatments might someday be used to help prevent or treat heart disease. However, the research is still in its early stages. More work is needed to know if this is safe and effective in people.
If it does work in humans, manganese could become a simple and low-cost way to fight heart disease. That would be a big help because this disease continues to affect many people around the world.
In the meantime, the best way to take care of your heart is to live a healthy life. This means eating good food, exercising regularly, and keeping your cholesterol levels in check.
Other research also gives helpful advice. Some herbs may affect your heartbeat, and eating eggs in moderation might lower your heart disease risk. Scientists are even working on ways to prevent heart attacks and strokes, and one heart medicine might help protect against COVID-19.
If you want to protect your heart, try eating healthy foods like oranges and black beans. These can help lower your risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. You can also follow simple meal plans for people with diabetes, which are also good for your heart.
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 about top 10 foods for a healthy heart, and how to eat right for heart rhythm disorders.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how to eat your way to cleaner arteries, and salt and heart health: does less really mean more?
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