What Are the Benefits of Arjuna?

If your body is a vehicle, your heart is the engine. Regular maintenance and tender loving care are a must!

Good heart care comes in many forms, most importantly, regular exercise and a healthy diet. Supplements can also help keep your heart in top shape using beneficial ingredients, such as arjuna bark extract. Learn about the many benefits of arjuna and how it's a simple but powerful way to keep your heart healthy.

What is arjuna?

Terminalia arjuna, more commonly known simply as arjuna, is a green, leafy tree. Its health benefits come from antioxidant phytochemicals like flavonoids, polyphenols and tannins, which are found mainly in arjuna bark. Arjuna trees also contain plenty of minerals and proteins.

The bark powder of the arjuna tree has long been used in the traditional and ancient Indian practice of Ayurveda, which is a system of health and wellness that is thousands of years old.

What does arjuna do for the body?

Arjuna offers many health benefits for the whole body, but its star power stems from what it can do for the cardiovascular system.

1. Encourages cardiac output

When we say "cardiac output," we're referring to the heart's blood-pumping capacity, or the amount of blood that the heart pumps in one minute. This is measured by the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), or the percentage of blood pumped out per heartbeat. (Why the left and not the right? The larger left ventricle has the very important job of pumping oxygen-loaded blood throughout your entire body.)

In clinical studies, LVEF markers and physical fatigue scores were better for the active older adults and younger men who took 400 mg of arjuna bark extract daily for eight weeks, compared with the placebo groups. In other words, arjuna bark extract may help the heart to pump more blood, which in turn means it will be more efficient at delivering oxygen and nutrients throughout the body.

2. Supports the health of the heart muscle

Because arjuna bark extract encourages a higher LVEF and leads to an increase in blood pumping through the body, it strengthens the heartbeat and supports heart muscle health and function.

3. Supports cardiovascular endurance

Research has found that the benefits of arjuna include support for cardiovascular endurance. Once again, this stems from arjuna's ability to help maintain cardiac output and cardiac function.

4. Promotes physical endurance during exercise

When you're in the middle of a particularly grueling training session, you might need to take a break for one of two reasons (or possibly both): Either your heart can't take it or your muscles are giving out.

Because arjuna bark extract supports the functioning of the heart, it helps to deliver oxygen and nutrients to other parts of the body more efficiently, thus encouraging the endurance of the muscles. You're getting a two-for-one deal.

And to up the ante even more, clinical studies found that arjuna bark extract resulted in reduced levels of perceived exertion.

5. Supports exercise performance in young, healthy adults

Yet another benefit of arjuna bark extract is its ability to combat physical fatigue during exercise.

As we've discussed, the left ventricle pumps oxygen-rich blood out of the heart and into the body. As the blood delivers oxygen and nutrients, it also scoops up and helps the body get rid of carbon dioxide and waste products.

In promoting the delivery of freshly oxygenated blood to muscles, arjuna bark extract can help give your muscles the nutrients they need, thereby supporting exercise performance.

Why take arjuna supplements?

If you're looking to maintain your heart health over the long run and strengthen this very important muscle (which we all should!), then arjuna bark extract might be a good fit for you. It promotes the health of your heart muscle and helps maintain your heart's blood-pumping capacity, which supports exercise and endurance.

How Else Can I Help My Heart?

Remember that heart health supplements are meant to work alongside healthy lifestyle choices, not replace them. In addition to taking a supplement with high-quality and scientifically studied ingredients, you can support your heart health with other habits.

• Get plenty of restful sleep.

  Sleep is a key ingredient to health and wellness, supporting both your physical and mental health.

• Stay hydrated.

  Water makes up most of our bodies, and staying well-hydrated—along with maintaining a healthy balance of electrolytes—supports muscle contraction, nerve function, healthy blood pressure and more.

• Eat a nutrient-dense diet.

  Add some heart-healthy foods to your plate to get more out of your most important muscle.

• Manage your stress.

  Spend some time outside enjoying the morning sunshine or forest bathing. Practices like journaling or meditation can also help with healthy stress management.

• Exercise regularly.

  Swimming, cycling, and yoga are all excellent exercises for heart health.

How long should arjuna be taken?

You should take arjuna bark extract supplements according to the directions and dosage on the label or following the advice of your healthcare provider. Arjuna can be taken long term to support a healthy heart, and it should be discussed with your provider as part of your wellness plan.

Can you take arjuna every day?

Arjuna bark extract should be taken once daily, or as directed by your healthcare practitioner. Having a discussion with your provider is always recommended before starting any supplement.

Resources

• Dwivedi S, Chopra D. "Revisiting Terminalia arjuna - An Ancient Cardiovascular Drug." J Tradit Complement Med. October 2014. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4220499/
• Girandola RN, Srivastava S. "Effect of E-OJ-01 on Cardiac Conditioning in Young Exercising Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial." Am J Ther. May 2017. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27930383/
• Ramesh P, Palaniappan A. "Terminalia arjuna, a Cardioprotective Herbal Medicine-Relevancy in the Modern Era of Pharmaceuticals and Green Nanomedicine-A Review." Pharmaceuticals (Basel). January 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9865560/
• Srivastava S, et al. "Effect of E-OJ-01 on Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction and Myocardial Oxygen Consumption: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study." J Multidiscip Healthc. November 2022. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36349244/
• "In brief: How does the blood circulatory system work?" National Library of Medicine. November 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279250/