The Heart is a very sturdy organ that is capable of lasting a lifetime if it is properly fed and exercised. Our present lifestyle results in numerous stresses on the heart in a variety of ways. Heart disease accounts for almost half of all deaths from disease in this country. Yet it is the most preventable of diseases as it responds to appropriate treatment very quickly.
Work habits and non-work relaxation are at the top of the list of general stressors endured by Americans. There was a time when productivity was determined by the actual amount of work accomplished. The new business paradigm puts its emphasis on the number of hours devoted to a project, not necessarily the results produced. In this environment, there is less attention paid to the efficiency of the employee (which is a function of health and contentment) and more on the sacrifices that person is willing to make for the company.
There is a wealth of evidence as to the effects of cholesterol on heart disease. However, recent research has indicated that it is the oxidation of cholesterol that forms the LDL’s that form the actual plaques. There is also evidence that atherosclerosis is caused by the change in electrical polarity of the arterial wall. This is more evidence that free radicals are the underlying source of heart disease, not, necessarily the fats you eat. This can all be summed up as “stress effects”.
Stresses from many sources, including excess homocysteine levels, oral contraceptives’ effect on raising homocysteine, toxins from infectious diseases, chlorine and fluoride in water, pesticides, processed foods, smoking, and the free radicals produced from the intense heat of cooking, all contribute to the free radicals and toxins that oxidize cholesterol.
Excess homocysteine has emerged in recent years as a major risk factor contributing to heart disease, affecting 42% of those with cerebrovascular disease, 28% with peripheral artery disease, and 30% of those with coronary artery disease. Forty percent of heart attacks and strokes in the US may be the result of elevated homocysteine levels (Challem & Dolby, 1996). Men with high homocysteine levels have been reported to have 3 times more heart attacks than those with low levels. Individuals with cardiovascular disease have been found to have 30% higher homocysteine levels than their healthy counterparts (Challem & Dolby, 1996). Excess homocysteine can generate free radicals that oxidize LDL cholesterol, which in turn leads to plaque formation in the arteries (Peng & Taylor, “Cholesterol Autooxidation, Health, and Arteriosclerosis,” World Review of Nutrition and Diet 1984; (44): 117-54). However, dangerously high homocysteine levels are reported to be the most modifiable predictor of mortality among patients with coronary heart disease (NEJM 1997; (337): 230-236).
A cascade of events is believed to take place: nutritional deficiencies weaken arterial walls, making them less elastic and less adaptable to stress. Stressors cause small tears in arterial walls. The body releases White Blood Cells to repair tissue damage. LDL oxidized cholesterol is deposited at the sites of damage, triggering soft plaque formation leading to atherosclerosis. Calcium is then attracted to the site and solid plaque forms, hardening the arteries and eventually leading to arteriosclerosis, heart disease, and strokes. High cholesterol levels themselves may not be the problem they were first thought to be. Oxidized LDL cholesterol is now believed to be the major issue (Kostner et al, “The Interaction of Human Plasma Low Density Lipoproteins with Glucosamino-Glycans:Influence of the Chemical Composition,” Lipids Jan. 1985; 20 (1): 24-28).
James Privitera, MD, Covina, CA, has said, “Ninety percent of heart attacks are caused by blood clots at the site of atherosclerotic lesions” (Alternative Medicine, The Definitive Guide, The Burton Goldberg Group, 1993-1995). Omega-3 EFA’s may help prevent blood clotting.
Supplementing the diet with omega-3 EFA’s may help lower excess homocysteine and reduce homocysteine’s potential toxic effects in oxidizing LDL cholesterol (Olzewski & McCully, “Fish Oil Decreases Serum Homocysteine in Hyperlipidemic Men,” Coronary Artery Disease 1993 (4): 52-60).
Omega-3 EFA’s have been shown useful in reducing LDL cholesterol levels. Omega-3 EFA’s may also prevent heart attacks by eliminating clotting and arterial damage (Kromhut, Bosschieter, & Coulander, “The Inverse Relation between Fish Consumption and 20-Year Mortality from Heart Disease,” New England J of Med May 1985; 312 (19): 1205-1209).**
There are two ways to go about strengthening your heart: lifestyle management and /or nutritional supplementation. Medical treatments have been staggering ineffectual in stemming the epidemic of heart attacks and strokes. The constant increase is heart-related deaths over the last ten years emphasizes the minimal success the extensive use of drugs and surgery have had in the long term. Once you need surgery, there is no better aqnswer than surgery, but the best way to treat heart disease is to avoid getting it.
LIFESTYLE MANAGEMENT: Just the phrase elicits a mental groan, doesn’t it? We immediately are beset with dull visions of galley-slave type exercise followed by boring inadequate meals: avoiding every precious compensation you need to endure your grueling schedule.
Well, you can do it that way. But I recommend a more balanced approach. You can restore your heart health with the proper efficient nutritional supplements and a minimal change in diet. If you can walk one mile five times a week, you can get all the exercise you need to strengthen your heart. If you can eat vegetables twice a day, then you can get enough to make a positive impact on your heart. [An extra bonus that both strengthens the heart and loses weight is to stop eating wheat. Just wheat. Yes, that does mean no rolls, no bread, no dingdongs, no noodles, no pasta, as long as it is made out of wheat. But there are alternative breads, noodles, pasta that are made from other grains. You can eat them all you want to. Please see the article on WEIGHT-LOSS on our website.] But if you have work for a living and deal with daily stress, you must have the right nutritional supplementation to prosper.
PROPER NUTRTIONAL SUPPLEMENTATION: There are general rules that can apply to most everyone concerning the basic nutrition we need. However, you can spend an inordinate amount of money buying and taking every supplement ever associated with heart health, or you can target the exact needs that are unique to you.
Everyone needs a source of Omega-3 essential fatty acids. Presently Fish Oil seems to be the best source of this. It is important when you buy fish oil to notice the term molecularly distilled on the bottle. If it is not distilled then it will turn rancid immediately. It is the rancid fish oil that has such a foul aftertaste. Fish oil that is distilled will be tested for heavy metals and toxins to assure the purity of the product. While there are several oils out there, I have noticed that Nutri-West and Standard Process offer fish oils that are more concentrated and more easily absorbed than commercial brands.
Every one should have a daily source of anti-oxidants. You can buy a supplement, but it seems that anti-oxidants work best when eaten in a whole food. So buy frozen berries (especially blue berries) and make smoothies. You can drink brewed tea (green, black, roobioos), but stay away from the bottled stuff. All the anti-oxidants vanished long ago in a bottle, especially if it contained corn syrup).
General heart support includes: Co-Q 10, Homocystine Reducers, Hawthorne berries (herbal prep), B-complex, and EFA’s. But there are specific nutritional products that are designed to support the heart. These vary in constituents and approach. Many have bovine preparations that provide the heart with everything it needs to work well. These are termed “Glandulars” and are often combined with herbs and synergistic nutrients to facilitate healing. Both Standard Process and Nutri-West make several products that offer very complete heart support including specific ingredients to eliminate Homocystine and free radicals.
It is important to involve a Health Professional in the selection of targeted nutrition, because they should have a better understanding of it than you do. At The Healing Experience, Dr. Gunter has spent over twenty years performing exactly these kind of analyses. Over this period of time Dr. Gunter has worked with many nutritional companies. This has allowed him to feel very confident of the superiority of Nutri-West and Standard Process over competing brands. Both companies require a State Health License to buy products, because their products are designed to be monitored by a health professional. Unlike pharmaceuticals, there are no potentially harmful substances in targeted nutrition. However, it is unwise to begin a treatment program without someone to monitor and interpret effects. It is the Health Professional that brings the knowledge to tailor the treatment to the individual.
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