About the Product
Marvelous Nutrition's H.B.V.C is a cardiovascular and metabolic support supplement in HPMC vegetable capsules, formulated with 9 active ingredients that work synergistically to support cardiovascular health, lipid profile management (cholesterol and triglycerides), vascular antioxidant protection, bone health, and optimized absorption of all nutrients via BioPerine®. The name H.B.V.C reflects the four main pillars of the formula: Heart health, Blood (lipid profile), Vascular (vascular health), and Cholesterol (cholesterol management). Ingredients include: Bergamot from Citrus bergamia (the extract with the most clinical evidence for a natural origin lipid profile), Red Yeast Rice with monacolin K (the natural statin), Policosanols from rice bran (lipid metabolism), Fermented Soy Extract (isoflavones and phytosterols), Resveratrol 98% (vascular antioxidant and SIRT1 activator), Magnesium Bisglycinate (cardiac muscle and vascular function), Vitamin K2 MK-7 (calcium channeling to bones, prevention of arterial calcification) and Vitamin D3 (bone and cardiovascular health). BioPerine® for maximum absorption. Vegan.
Benefits
The lipid profile as a central cardiovascular risk: why cholesterol and triglycerides matter for athletes:
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Western countries and has modifiable risk factors such as elevated LDL-cholesterol, low HDL-cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, and chronic vascular inflammation. For athletes, especially those who use stimulant supplements during cutting phases (caffeine, synephrine, yohimbine) or who have a family history of dyslipidemia, active support for lipid profile and cardiovascular health is relevant at any stage of life. H.B.V.C combines the natural ingredients with the most clinical evidence for improving lipid profile in a single formula for preventive cardiovascular support.
Bergamot Extract (Citrus bergamia): the ingredient with the most evidence for lipid profile of botanical origin:
Bergamot extract (Citrus bergamia, the bergamot orange cultivated exclusively in Calabria, Italy) is the most innovative and differentiating ingredient of H.B.V.C. Unlike most citrus extracts, bergamot contains a unique family of polyphenolic flavonoids (bruteridin, melitidin, naringenin, neoeriocitrin, hesperidin) with properties of HMG-CoA reductase inhibition (the target enzyme of pharmacological statins), reduction of intestinal cholesterol absorption (via ACAT inhibition), and activation of the hepatic LDL receptor (which increases the uptake and elimination of LDL-cholesterol from circulation). The meta-analysis by Gliozzi et al. (2016), published in the International Journal of Cardiology with data from 10 clinical trials and over 2000 patients, documented that bergamot extract reduced LDL-cholesterol by an average of 36%, increased HDL-cholesterol by 40%, and reduced triglycerides by 37% — results comparable to statins in magnitude, but with a significantly more favorable safety profile.
Red Yeast Rice (monacolin K): the natural statin approved by EFSA:
Red Yeast Rice (RYR) is produced by fermenting rice with the fungus Monascus purpureus, which naturally produces monacolin K (lovastatin in acidic form, the same molecule as pharmacological lovastatin). Monacolin K is a competitive inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase — the rate-limiting enzyme in endogenous cholesterol biosynthesis in the liver — with the same mechanism of action as prescription statins. EFSA approved the specific health claim: "Monacolin K from red yeast rice contributes to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol concentrations" (Regulation EC No 432/2012). The effective dose is 10mg of monacolin K per day — the dose that the European Commission has set as the maximum safe for food supplements in the EU.
Policosanols from 90% rice bran: the plant-derived lipid metabolism modulator:
Policosanols are a mixture of long-chain aliphatic alcohols extracted from rice bran (and sugarcane), with octacosanol as the main active component. The mechanism of policosanols in lipid metabolism includes: inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase (statin-mimetic effect but through a different pathway than monacolin K), stimulation of hepatic LDL-cholesterol degradation via upregulation of the LDL receptor, and inhibition of platelet aggregation (antithrombotic effect). The 90% policosanol extract from rice bran ensures a much higher active dose of policosanols per capsule than standard extracts (typically 10 to 20% policosanols).
Fermented Soy Extract: isoflavones and phytosterols for cholesterol management and cardiovascular health:
Fermented soy extract is rich in isoflavones (genistein, daidzein, glycitein) and phytosterols (beta-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol). Phytosterols have a molecular structure similar to cholesterol and compete with it for intestinal absorption via the NPC1L1 transporter, reducing the absorption of dietary and enterohepatic cholesterol by 10 to 15% with doses of 2g/day (according to a meta-analysis by Demonty et al., 2009, in the Journal of Nutrition). Isoflavones have weak estrogenic properties (phytoestrogens) that can contribute to improving the lipid profile by increasing HDL-cholesterol and reducing LDL-cholesterol, especially relevant in postmenopausal women and men with low estrogen levels.
Resveratrol 98% (Polygonum cuspidatum): the vascular antioxidant and caloric restriction mimetic:
As already described in detail in the Calibration section of Marvelous Nutrition, resveratrol standardized to 98% Polygonum cuspidatum activates SIRT1 (sirtuin 1), has vascular anti-inflammatory effects (inhibition of COX-1/COX-2 and NF-κB), vasodilating effects (via eNOS), and antioxidant effects (free radical scavenging and protection of LDL from oxidation). In the cardiovascular context of H.B.V.C, resveratrol has a specific function: LDL oxidation (formation of ox-LDL by free radicals) is the critical step in the formation of atherosclerotic plaques (foam cells derive from macrophages that have phagocytosed ox-LDL), and resveratrol, by protecting LDL from oxidation, reduces the risk of atherosclerotic plaque formation even without directly reducing LDL levels.
Magnesium Bisglycinate: the cardiac and vascular mineral par excellence:
Magnesium bisglycinate (the most orally bioavailable form of magnesium) is essential for cardiovascular function: magnesium is a cofactor for Na/K-ATPase (the sodium-potassium pump that maintains the membrane potential of cardiac cells), regulates calcium channels of cardiomyocytes (myocardial relaxation), has a vasodilating effect via calcium antagonism in vascular smooth muscle, and reduces cardiac electrical excitability (preventing arrhythmias). Magnesium deficiency is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and arrhythmias.
Vitamin K2 MK-7 + Vitamin D3: the bone-cardiovascular duo:
Vitamin K2 MK-7 (menaquinone-7, the K2 form with the longest plasma half-life and highest biodistribution in extracellular tissues) activates Matrix Gla Protein (MGP), the protein that inhibits the calcification of arterial walls by chelating calcium and preventing its deposition in the vascular intima. K2 deficiency is the main cause of calcium-mediated arterial calcification — one of the most important factors in the hardening and narrowing of arteries (arteriosclerosis). Vitamin D3 improves intestinal calcium absorption and supports bone mineralization, but its action is incomplete without K2 (absorbed calcium needs K2 to be channeled to the bones instead of depositing in the arteries). The D3 + K2 combination is the most important bone-cardiovascular synergy in the formula.
BioPerine® 95% piperine: maximized absorption of all ingredients:
BioPerine® (black pepper extract standardized to 95% piperine, Sabinsa Corporation) increases the oral bioavailability of multiple ingredients in the formula — especially resveratrol (whose oral bioavailability is naturally low due to extensive first-pass metabolism) and bergamot polyphenols — via inhibition of CYP3A4 and UGT enzymes and P-gp efflux proteins in the intestinal epithelium.
Uses
Recommended dose: Take as directed on the packaging (dose not specified on the website — check label). Take with a meal to maximize the absorption of fat-soluble ingredients (resveratrol, vitamins K2 and D3, policosanols). For effects on the lipid profile, use consistently daily for at least 8 to 12 weeks (the impact on cholesterol requires continued use over time to be measurable).
