Heart & blood vessels
Supplements for heart and circulation: omega-3 with EPA and DHA, potassium, thiamine and coenzyme Q10. We explain which forms your body absorbs well, and what an intake like 250 mg EPA and DHA a day actually means.Read more →
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What heart and circulation supplements can and cannot do
This collection brings together the nutrients that support the heart and the blood vessels, together with the plant extracts people ask us about most. The honest picture is simple. A small group of nutrients has an approved claim in Europe. A much longer list has popularity and tradition behind it. We tell you which is which, so you can spend your money where the evidence sits.
The nutrients with an approved claim
In the UK and the EU, only specific wording may be used. These are the ones that apply to this goal:
- EPA and DHA, the omega-3 fatty acids from oily fish and algae, contribute to the normal function of the heart. This applies from 250 mg EPA and DHA a day.
- Thiamine (vitamin B1) contributes to the normal function of the heart.
- Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of blood vessels.
- Potassium contributes to the maintenance of normal blood pressure.
- Plant sterols contribute to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels, from 0.8 g a day.
We keep these claims separate on purpose. Adding them together into one bigger promise is not permitted, and it would not be accurate either. If your main reason for looking is your cholesterol reading, our range for cholesterol is a more direct starting point.
Forms decide how much actually arrives
Two products with the same name on the front can differ a lot on the back.
- Omega-3: read the EPA and DHA figures, not the total fish oil. A 1000 mg capsule often holds around 300 mg EPA and DHA, so you need more than one. Our fish oil and algae oil options state both numbers.
- Potassium: supplement amounts are kept low by law in Europe. Food stays your main source, and a tablet is a top-up.
- Vitamin C: plain ascorbic acid works well. Buffered forms are gentler on an empty stomach.
Coenzyme Q10 needs a separate note. Ubiquinone is the standard form and costs less. Ubiquinol is the already converted version and is easier for the body to use, which mainly starts to matter from around age 40. There is no approved health claim for ubiquinone and ubiquinol products in Europe, so we do not make one. People take it because their own production drops with age.
How we select for this goal
We judge every product on three things: the form, the dose, and whether the combination makes sense. For omega-3 that means the EPA and DHA per capsule printed clearly and oil that is fresh, because rancid oil is the most common flaw in this category. For minerals we prefer well absorbed forms such as citrate and bisglycinate. We leave out formulas that hide token doses behind a long ingredient list. We buy directly from the brands, so what arrives is authentic, and every product passes our compliance team before it goes live. You can read how we select brands and products.
Who this collection suits
It fits you if you eat oily fish less than twice a week, if you are over 40 and want a daily basis, or if a doctor has told you to keep an eye on your blood values. Supplements work alongside movement, less salt and not smoking, never instead of them. Blood values change slowly, so plan on two to three months of daily use rather than a quick shift, and stay consistent. This goal sits under IMMUNITY + VITALITY, our pillar for everyday health. If you use blood thinners or blood pressure medication, speak to your GP before you start.
Frequently asked questions
They are food supplements built around nutrients involved in the normal working of the heart, the blood and the blood vessels. In practice that means omega-3 with EPA and DHA, thiamine, vitamin C, minerals such as potassium and magnesium in absorbable forms, plus coenzyme Q10 and plant extracts like hawthorn and garlic. They are not medicines and they do not treat anything. They fill gaps in a normal diet.
Four are directly relevant. EPA and DHA contribute to the normal function of the heart, from 250 mg a day. Thiamine contributes to the normal function of the heart. Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of blood vessels. Potassium contributes to the maintenance of normal blood pressure. Plant sterols have their own claim for maintaining normal blood cholesterol levels, from 0.8 g a day. Everything else in this category has no approved heart claim, and we say so.
The approved claim for the normal function of the heart starts at 250 mg EPA and DHA a day. That is roughly what one portion of oily fish gives you across a week of average eating, which is why UK advice puts oily fish on the menu regularly. If you use capsules, add up the EPA and DHA per capsule, not the total oil weight. Take them with a meal that contains some fat, since these are fat soluble.
It depends on your diet and your budget. All three deliver EPA and DHA, but the carrier differs.
| Form | Source | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Triglyceride fish oil | Oily fish | Natural form, easy daily use |
| Ethyl ester fish oil | Concentrated fish oil | Higher EPA and DHA per capsule |
| Algae oil | Microalgae | Vegans, mostly DHA |
| Krill oil | Krill | Small capsules, less fishy taste |
Ethyl esters need a meal with fat more than triglyceride oil does.
The NHS publishes how much adults need and how much is unlikely to cause harm from supplements. Use it as a frame, not as personal advice.
| Nutrient | Adults need per day | NHS note on supplements |
|---|---|---|
| Potassium | 3,500 mg | Not above 3,700 mg |
| Vitamin C | 40 mg | Below 1,000 mg |
| Thiamine (B1) | 1 mg men, 0.8 mg women | Below 100 mg |
| Vitamin K | 1 mcg per kg body weight | Below 1,000 mcg |
Source: NHS
Be realistic. Nutrients like EPA, DHA and thiamine support normal functions you do not feel from day to day, so there is often nothing to notice at all. Blood values that a doctor measures tend to move over weeks, not days. Give any product two to three months of consistent daily use before you judge it, and keep other habits steady so you can tell what changed. Skipping days is the most common reason people see nothing.
Ask your GP or pharmacist first, and mention every supplement by name. If you take warfarin, keep your vitamin K intake steady rather than starting or stopping a supplement, because vitamin K affects normal blood clotting and your dose is set around your usual intake. Higher amounts of fish oil, garlic and potassium can also matter alongside prescribed medicine. This is one of the few places where we would rather you check than guess.
Sometimes. Ubiquinone is the oxidised form and your body converts it into ubiquinol, the active form. That conversion tends to become less efficient with age, so ubiquinol is the more logical choice from around 40 and for people who took ubiquinone without any change. Under that age, ubiquinone at a decent dose in an oil base is usually the sensible buy. Neither form carries an approved health claim in Europe, so judge them on absorption and price per day.
