Most modern heart advice focuses on lowering fat and cholesterol, but very few people ask whether the heart is actually missing key nutrients instead. Your heart beats over 100,000 times every single day. That requires enormous cellular energy. One of the most critical compounds for that energy production is Coenzyme Q10, which is naturally found in red meat. CoQ10 supports mitochondrial function, which is how your heart muscle generates power. As we age, natural levels decline — and removing red meat reduces one of the richest dietary sources.
Then there’s Vitamin K2, found in grass-fed butter and certain cheeses. Calcium itself isn’t dangerous — mismanaged calcium is. K2 helps direct calcium into bones and teeth rather than into soft tissues like arteries. When K2 intake is low, calcium regulation becomes inefficient. Traditional diets rich in animal fats consistently delivered this nutrient long before it became trendy.
Next is Choline, abundant in egg yolks. Choline plays a central role in fat metabolism and liver function. Poor choline intake is strongly associated with fatty liver, and metabolic dysfunction directly influences cardiovascular health. Removing yolks removes one of the most concentrated, bioavailable sources of this essential compound.
And finally, Carnitine is found almost exclusively in red meat. Carnitine transports fatty acids into mitochondria so they can be burned as fuel. Your heart actually prefers fat as its primary energy source. Without adequate carnitine, that fat-to-energy conversion becomes less efficient.
When you look at the full picture, this isn’t about “more fat” versus “less fat.” It’s about whether your diet supplies the nutrients that regulate calcium properly, support mitochondrial energy, maintain liver health, and optimize fat metabolism. These compounds aren’t abundant in ultra-processed foods or seed oils — they’re concentrated in real animal foods.
Maybe heart health isn’t about restriction. Maybe it’s about restoration.